


Avatar: Legacy of the Past - Book 0: Kang

by Lightning189



Series: Avatar: Legacy of the Past [5]
Category: Avatar - Fandom, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Bloodbending (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, Firebending & Firebenders, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Republic City, Waterbending & Waterbenders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 43,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28837578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning189/pseuds/Lightning189
Summary: This story contains Spoilers for my 'Avatar: Legacy of the Past' Books 1 - 3. Ideally read through those first before starting this one :^)Kang has run away after an event he cannot forgive himself for, striding through the Earth Kingdom and United Republic, passing out within the metropolis: Republic City.However, The Young Fire-Bender is rescued by a trio of criminals for fun, Zu: a lovable Giant, Li: a short man with more to him than meets the eye, and Eamon: a man of harmony and a distaste for plays.But whilst The Boys assist Kang through his woes, Republic City is facing an unknown threat, people seemingly dropping dead on Full Moon nights.
Series: Avatar: Legacy of the Past [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044300
Collections: Avatar: The Last Airbender





	1. Burning Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kang, a young prestigious fire-bender has committed a sin he cannot forgive himself for.

Kang ran from the hut he and his mother Azula lived in, cutting through the surrounding foliage as he desperately made his way to the nearby village, seeing it in the distance from atop a cliff before glancing back to the hut.

"Please hang in there, mother!" Kang muttered as he launched himself off the cliff with jets of blue flame, soaring towards the village and landing outside its wooden fenced perimeter. Kang quickly rushed in, frantically looking around at the rows of buildings and stalls in his vision, dashing over to one, his breathing ragged as he looked into the stall vendor's very confused grey eyes.

"Can I help you, young man?" The stall vendor asked in a gruff voice, looking Kang up and down, observing his smooth, partially unkempt hair and staring into his piercing gold eyes. He next gazed at his red and gold shirt, black baggy pants and maroon boots.

"I need something for healing burns, anything!" Kang exclaimed, his arms quaking as the Stall vendor continued observing Kang, his eyes widening.

"Hey! I know you! You're that thief that's been stealing from our village for decades!" The stall vendor proclaimed, pulling out a sword and aiming it at Kang. The Young Fire-bender jumped back, raising his hands as he quizzically looked at the stall vendor.

"Thief? I haven't stolen anything!" Kang replied as he backed away from him.

"Yeah, tell that to my sword you thieving elephant-rat!" the stall vendor shouted as he swung at Kang as he leapt back, unleashing a blazing blue fireball at the stall vendor, scorching his clothes and skin, smashing him into his stall. Locals of the village stepped out to see the commotion, looking at Kang and the burning stall.

"Get him!" An old woman shouted, causing the villagers who had come out to attack as Kang slowly backed away, watching them encroach.

"Please! I need help, not a battle!" Kang pleaded, but the villagers didn't have any interest as they sprinted at Kang, the Young Fire-bender's heart skipping a beat as he swung his fist at the ground, erecting a wall of azure flames and scaring the villagers. Kang blasted himself away with jets of fire, soaring back to the hut.

Kang landed before the hut, crashing through the door and rummaging through drawers in the kitchen for anything that could help his mother, but his search turned up nothing.

Kang frantically ran up the stairs, slamming through his mother's bedroom door, seeing her arm draped at the bedside. A recently used quill lay near her hand, but Kang took no notice of it as he stumbled into the silent room, slowly walking towards his mother, grasping her icy hand as his heart sank, dropping to his knees and pressing his head against the bed.

"Mother..." Kang sobbed as he held her hand, hoping for a response, but nothing came his way as he choked.

"I'm... so sorry, mother!" Kang spoke as he sobbed into the sheet, slowly lifting his head and looking to Azula's closed eyes, her muscles stiff and skin cold. Kang had never experienced death before, but he knew that no matter what he did, Azula had died.

Kang wept for hours, blaming himself for her death, trying to keep his fire from exploding, not wanting to cause any more damage, and as he looked to her one more time, he knew what he had to do: He needed to bury her and give her final resting place.

Kang rolled an unfinished boat out to the front of the house, slowly marching back into the hut and back up the stairs, looking to his mother one last time before slowly wrapping the blankets around her body, covering her up entirely and carrying her body down the stairs, the weight of his heart pulling him down as a pit in his stomach grew.

Kang stepped out of the doorway, laying Azula down in the boat and pushing her down towards the hilltop, a place they would often spend time at during sunny days.

Kang arrived at the base of the hill, lush green grass blew in the wind as he pushed her up the dirt road, stopping at the top as he looked down to the ground, pulling a shovel from the boat to begin digging.

Kang dug into the night, not stopping until he had finished the work, and as a full moon hung in the sky, Kang had finished. Looking to the boat and pulling it from its wheeled cart, dragging the boat into the hole and letting it drop in, looking down at it as tears grew in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Kang sobbed once again as he began shovelling the soil back into the ground, slowly covering the boat and his mother's corpse, and as he finished filling the hole, Kang pulled out a tree seed, heavily gazing at it before putting it back in his pocket, going out to gather several small stones from nearby before planting the seed.

Kang placed the small stones around the dirt in a circle, placing the seed in the ground and covering it up with the excess dirt.

Rain fell from the sky, lightning crackling, and thunder rumbling. Kang shut his eyes, his head hanging low as he wept once again, but the more he did, the more the thoughts of the villagers came to his mind.

"If they had helped... maybe... maybe she'd have..." Kang sobbed as he looked to the village, anger and hatred burning like the Sun within him as he glared, a voice echoing in his head, telling him _'do it'_ and the more the young Fire-bender glared, the louder the voice became, dampening all other noise before he blasted himself towards the village on jets of Azure fire.

Kang smacked down in the centre of the village, awaking the residents as they stepped out, lightning crackling as the rain continued to fall. The villagers recognised Kang as he stood before them with his teeth gritted, fists clenched and his golden eyes piercing into every single villager.

"Quick! Get him before he runs again!" a man shouted as he grabbed a pitchfork, leading the villagers to charge at Kang with murderous fury.

Kang let out a deafening cry, his voice echoing through the village as he slammed his fist down on the ground, a wave of Azure flames erupting around him, scorching the buildings and the villagers.

Kang stood tall, his muscles tensing as he rose, thrusting his fists into the air, the blue fire surging up into the skies, destroying the entire village and everyone inside it, and with a swing of both his fists, the Azure flames spread out across the ground, burning anything that remained before slowly sputtering out.

The rain hit Kang's skin; the thunder rumbling above, as he raggedly breathed, gazing upon the destruction his anger had wrought, but he collapsed to his knees, sobbing once more, nothing had changed within him, the young Fire-bender had brought no justice, only more death at a rage towards himself.

Kang passed out in the centre of the destruction, the night passing by before he regained consciousness, the sun hitting his eyes as he fluttered awake, standing up and looking around, seeing burnt skeletons and rubble scattered along the ground, letting out a shaky breath before looking away from the carnage.

"I... need to go, far away... and never come back," Kang told himself as he ran south, travelling through the Earth Kingdom on foot.

Kang passed through village after village, marching on, hoping to find somewhere to call home, finding himself within the United Republic of Nations, seeing that the towns differed greatly from the ones he had seen, cobblestone roads and houses of wood and earth filled his view, and the scent of cooked food caught his attention, his stomach growling as he looked at it.

"... I can't," Kang told himself as he walked away from the smell, forcing himself onward, traversing the towns of the United Republic, looking around and seeing benders of water, earth and fire putting on shows for onlookers, but Kang took no interest in them, he simply marched on until he found himself in Republic City.

Kang's feet ached as he forced his numb legs to trudge forward, limping along near the Derelict estate, seeing the One-Hundred Year war memorial in the distance, the moonlit night sky hanging behind it. Kang looked to the Derelict estate, slowly limping in as he looked at the houses.

"This may be a good place to rest for the night-" Kang told himself, his knees buckling as his vision went blurry, his mind fading into unconsciousness.

Time passed by as Kang remained unconscious in the middle of the Derelict estate, but a gang of three sleazy benders found him, poking him with their feet, seeing no response from Kang.

"You think he's dead?" a sleazy bald moustached bender asked them, but the others shrugged, looking down at Kang.

"Don't think so... doesn't look like he has anything on him either," a sleazy shaggy-haired bender replied, as he perked his head up. But before the sleazy benders could continue their conversation, minor tremors rippled along the ground, approaching them from behind as they turned to face its source, a bearded giant man with a shaven head and fluffy eyebrows, his brown eyes gazing down at them. His tall and wide body dwarfing the sleazy benders, muscles rippling all over his body, adorned in a dark grey partially ripped Gi and a black belt wrapped around his waist.

"Hey, fellas. What have you got there?" The Giant man asked them as he looked to Kang.

"We, uh... just found him, Zu! This kid was out when we found him!" an unkempt sleazy bender replied as Zu gazed down at them.

"You haven't stolen anything from him, have you?" Zu asked as he put his enormous fists to his hips.

"No!" the three sleazy benders exclaimed, Zu nodding with a smile.

"Good! Stealing from an unconscious person is just dirty. Do it when they're conscious! It makes it more fun!" Zu enthusiastically told them as he looked down at Kang, plucking him off the ground and cradling him in his massive arm.

"I'll take care of this one fellas. Run along and don't get into too much trouble!" Zu told them as he snapped his large fingers, unleashing a small shock-wave as he pointed to them, making the sleazy benders wince.

"Yes, sir!" The sleazy benders replied as they ran away. Zu watched them run before turning to his house, striding over to it and kicking the door open, squeezing his way in, trying not to hurt Kang.

A slender short man in a yellow vest, brown baggy shorts and sandals looked over to Zu from his leather chair, his hair unkempt and partially wispy, his eyebrows slim and his eyes a pale blue. The slender man hopped up from his seat and ran over to Zu.

"Picking up strays again!?" The slender man asked as he gestured to Kang.

"Easy there, Kaz. He passed out in the middle of the estate. This is just for one night," Zu replied as he began walking up the stairs, but before he could step up, a man of average height blocked his path, adorned in a blue and white sleeveless shirt, grey baggy pants and brown boots. His hair ruffled and slicked-back black, his eyebrows broad and his eyes a deep sapphire blue.

"Who's this guy? Did someone beat him up?" The blue-eyed man asked as Zu let out a disgruntled sigh, looking to the ceiling.

"No, Eamon. He passed out in the middle of the estate!" Zu replied as Eamon made way for him, allowing him up the stairs.

"With how much you eavesdrop, I thought you would've heard me say that," Zu added, looking back to Eamon as he rolled his eyes at the Giant.

Zu came to a large open room with a view of the city out its windows, a musty smell filling the air as he walked over to a bed in the middle of the room, laying Kang atop it and covering him with the blanket.

"Rest well, kid," Zu whispered as he lightly patted Kang's head, leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind him.

  
  
  



	2. Welcome to the Republic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kang awakens within the house of The Boys, but is unprepared for the reminders which plague the city

Kang's eyes fluttered open, awaking to find himself inside the bed Zu had placed him in, old wool blankets cloaking him as he sat up, noticing his boots at the side of the bed, seeing that someone mended and cleaned them.

"Where am I?" Kang asked himself as he swung his legs out of bed, the old wooden floor creaking loudly as he did. Zu, Eamon and Li looked up, seeing a handful of dust fall from the ceiling.

"Sounds like he's awake," Zu whispered to them.

"And looks like we need to do some spring cleaning," Li nonchalantly added as Zu perked up from his leather couch, stretching his arms and walking across the room.

"I'll go say hi," Zu told them as he proceeded up the stairs, but Eamon leapt up from his wooden chair, kicking it to the ground as he sprinted over to Zu.

"Zu! No offence, but are you sure you're the best person to do that?" Eamon asked, his palms raised to the Giant.

"What are you implying, Eamon?" Zu asked, his tone emitting annoyance.

"Well... you're, uh... big," Eamon awkwardly replied, Zu scoffing and plucking Eamon up, placing the small man behind him.

"Work on your excuses Eamon, you'll convince me one day!" Zu jested as he marched up the stairs.

Zu pushed the door open, seeing Kang sat atop the bed, the Fire-Bender's heart skipping a beat as he saw the hulking mass of Zu.

"Hey, Kid! You're finally awake!" Zu greeted him, his voice oozing with friendliness, but his words didn't matter to Kang. The young Fire-bender screamed, alerting Li and Eamon as Zu's head jerked back.

Kang's heart raced as he looked around, spying an open window to his left, quickly leaping across the bed and out the window.

"Ah, balls," Zu exclaimed as he trotted down the stairs, standing before Eamon and Li, Eamon raising a smug eyebrow.

"Okay, Eamon. You were right, but we should catch him before he gets himself hurt!" Zu told them as he crashed through the door, seeing Kang buckle under the quaking of his legs.

Eamon and Li raced out of the door, seeing Kang get up in the distance whilst Li pulled a stick from his pocket, whispering into it as his eye twitched.

"I'll get him, boys!" Li proclaimed, his personality changing.

Kaz pulled the surrounding air, bending it into a sphere and riding atop it towards Kang, easily catching up to him and leaping from the air sphere, outstretching his arms and pulling them in, summoning a mighty gale to drag Kang towards him. Eamon quickly caught up whilst Zu cautiously approached. Kang rolled onto his back, seeing Kaz and Eamon loom over him.

"Hey, there's no need to worry!" Eamon told Kang as he knelt next to him, but Kang mistook his kindness for hostility, immediately striking his jaw and knocking Eamon back, the man rolling back onto his feet.

"Alright, that does it!" Eamon angrily spoke, bending water out from his satchel, but before he could attack, the earth beneath him snatched his arm out of the air before encasing him up to his chest. Kaz quizzically looked at Eamon before he too found himself encased in earth.

Zu strode up behind them, slapping them both on the backs of their heads with a disappointed glare.

"Really, you two go for using violence on a kid?" Zu asked them like a disappointed father.

"Well, he hit first!" Eamon protested as Kaz leant into his earthy prison.

"You sound like a child, Eamon. The poor kids clearly scared shi-" Zu spoke, looking to Kang then back to Eamon, "Uh... scared out of his mind!" Zu corrected himself, Eamon rolling his eyes as Zu bent down to Kang's level, giving him a friendly smile as he did.

"It's alright now, there's no need to be afraid. These dunderheads like to use brawn over brain most of the time," Zu told him, making Kang smirk as he looked to Eamon and Kaz.

"So, what's your name, Kid?" Zu asked as he sat down, crossing his beefy legs with his arms resting atop them, his back slouching forward.

"I'm... Kang," he told him, nervously sitting down before Zu, the Giant smiling at him.

"Kang... I like the name," Zu replied, Eamon and Kaz watched the two converse, Zu slowly gaining Kang's trust as time passed by.

"Say, Kang. Since you're new to the city... how about I show you around?" Zu offered, gesturing out to him with his giant hand whilst Kang looked to Eamon and Kaz, both verging on the brink of sleep.

"Will... those two be coming with us?" Kang asked as he pointed to them. Zu looked behind him, grimacing as he pushed his hands down, releasing the two as they flopped to the ground.

"Nah, they can make amends later. It'll just be us two!" Zu informed him, Kang smiling as he stood up, shortly followed by Zu.

The Giant turned to his friends, nudging them with his foot as they held their earthly smacked heads.

"Go home you two, we'll be back later," Zu told them as Eamon and Kaz stood up, dusting themselves off as they said goodbye to Zu, returning to the house whilst Zu and Kang marched out into the City.

The two walked through City Park, the One-Hundred Year memorial statue towering over them as the scent of ocean water and the slow rustling of tree leaves clouded their senses.

"This here's the One-Hundred-year war memorial statue, built about a year ago in honour of Avatar Aang and his friends. There should be a plaque over here that explains it!" Zu explained to him before gesturing to the plaque. The two walked over to it, Kang's curiosity taking over as he stood before the plaque, reading the inscription.

 _"This monument stands here to commemorate the six heroes who saved the four nations from the tyranny of self-proclaimed Phoenix King Ozai and the would-be Fire Lord Azu-"_ Kang read, choking on his words as he read the final word, his pupils contracting as he inched backwards, his mind flooding with the memories of his last Agni Kai, the screams of his mother pervading his senses as his whole body quaked.

"Kang?" Zu worryingly asked, raising his hands, expecting Kang to fall, but with a pained roar, Kang slung a puff of flames towards the plaque, scorching part of it as he quaked all over, his sudden outburst making the Giant flinch before crouching down to Kang's level.

"Kang, what was that!?" Zu asked as Kang quivered all over. Zu looked to the plaque, then to Kang, thinking to himself, and with a mighty snap of Zu's fingers, Kang snapped back to reality, regaining control of his breathing as he looked around.

"Are you alright?" Zu asked as Kang looked to the ground, his body still quaking.

"Is there anywhere else we can go?" Kang asked as Zu raised an eyebrow before quickly looking around for any witnesses.

"Sure, come on... don't want to get caught in front of a vandalised plaque," Zu whispered, nudging Kang along as the two sneaked away.

Zu and Kang marched through the streets, seeing stall vendors selling food, and as the scent of roast duck hit Kang's senses, his stomach tightened and his legs stumbling.

"Let me guess... hungry?" Zu asked with his fists to his hips.

"Starving!" Kang replied, clenching his stomach as Zu smirked, striding over to a stall and buying four bowls of roast duck, offering two to Kang whilst keeping the others to himself.

The two sat down on a bench, the sheer weight of Zu causing it to slightly list towards him, the Giant looking down, as did Kang.

"I keep saying the need to bolt these down," Zu muttered before digging into his roast duck, shortly followed by Kang. The two finished their food as quickly as they started, standing up from the bench and striding through the city once again, arriving at a bakery.

"Ah, Piandao Bakery! It gets its namesake from a skilled swordsman of the Fire Nation... don't know why they named a Bakery after him though," Zu explained, quizzically looking at the name before striding in, Zu barely fitting through the door, lightly cracking the frame as he stumbled in, a man in a bakers attire grimacing at him.

"Again, seriously?" The baker asked Zu, the monolithic man shrugging with an indifferent look.

"I keep telling you to make the doorway bigger, but you never listen!" Zu retorted as he stood tall, the baker aggressively slapping a towel over his shoulder as he looked up at Zu.

"And I keep telling your friends to stop raiding my bakery, but they never listen!" The baker argued back, as a confused Kang worryingly watched them.

"Well, if you didn't make such fine baked goods, maybe we, uh... they wouldn't raid it so much!" Zu told him with a backhanded compliment.

"Eh, enough arguing!" The baker replied as he dismissively threw his arms at Zu, walking over to a glass container holding a variety of baked goods within. Zu and Kang looked down to it, seeing the pastries and their reflections in the glass.

"Let me guess, Fire buns?" The baker asked. Zu and the baker went back and forth as Zu ordered, but their words dampened whilst Kang looked at his reflection, his eyes peering into him, the memories returning as his body shook all over. Zu and the Baker looked to Kang, both raising an eyebrow to him.

"What's up with him?" The baker quizzically asked as Zu raised his palm to Kang's face, waving it across his vision whilst whistling, Kang jerked back, his eyes fluttering as he looked around.

"Sorry... spaced out," Kang lied, looking away as Zu and the Baker returned to talking.

Kang looked away from his reflection, waiting for the two to finish up. The baker handed Zu a bag full of baked goods as the Giant gave him a hefty sack of gold in exchange.

The two strode out from the bakery, the door frame cracking more as Zu shoved himself through, waving goodbye to the baker through the window. Kang and Zu continued strolling through the city, heartily dining on the baker's work until they arrived at Little Ba Sing Se.

"And this is Little Ba Sing Se. The name is self-explanatory," Zu introduced Kang to it as the young Fire-Bender looked around at the pasty yellow walls, seeing a large array of stalls within.

"It's more or less the same all the way through, but things get more expensive and higher quality the further you go in... kinda like the actual city really," Zu explained, scoffing to himself before the two entered.

They strode through the lower ring, making way into the middle ring first, seeing stalls for food and varying merchandise, as well as small game stores where players would win prizes.

Kang and Zu waltzed around the middle ring, taking in the atmosphere of chattering people until they came across a game stall, people using small hoses to knock down caricatures of Fire Nation nobility. Zu grimaced at it as he tried averting Kang's gaze.

"I get that the Royal Family weren't the nicest people, but that's just disrespectful," Zu disappointingly spoke as Kang continued watching the stall, seeing mockeries of Fire Lord Ozai, Azulon and Sozin fall until a mockery of Azula appeared, his eyes widening as one player shot a stream of water at it, the blue-tinted water smacking against the Azula mockery, Kang's mind flooding with memories and screams, his whole body shutting down as he collapsed to the floor, but Zu twisted around, sensing him fall and stretching out his arm, catching the Young Fire-bender before he hit the ground.

"Kang? KANG!?" Zu worryingly spoke to him, shaking his body but receiving no response.

Zu placed a finger to his neck, a faint pulse pounding against his finger, the Giant breathing a sigh of relief as he hoisted Kang into his arms.

"I better get him back to the house," Zu told himself as he marched out of Little Ba Sing Se, striding back through Republic City, but on his way, he noticed a group of people wearing black metal armour stood down an alleyway.

Zu approached them without hesitation, and before he could greet them, a woman with black hair styled into a large bun at the back of her head turned to him, her blind eyes looking to Zu.

"Hey, Chief," Zu greeted her, the Chief scoffing as she crossed her arms.

"You know you can just call me Toph, Zu. You don't work for me anymore," Toph replied in a friendly manner.

"I do it out of respect!" Zu informed her with a nonchalant smirk, looking beyond Toph to see a corpse on the ground, a police officer sketching the victim whilst two others examined it.

"What happened here?" Zu asked as he stood beside Toph, the Chief turning back and gazing toward the body.

"Some poor guy suffered a cardiac arrest... but we can't find a cause," Toph told him, one of Zu's fluffy eyebrows raising.

"A Cardi-what?" Zu asked, not knowing what she meant as Toph looked up to Zu.

"Some new phrase Sugar Queen's got the doctors, nurses and police using... I think it just means 'heart attack'," Toph explained as Zu quizzically shook his head.

"I'll try to remember that one..." Zu uneasily replied as Toph lightly nudged him.

"Are we still on for tonight at the Tavern?" Toph asked with a smirk, but Zu looked down at Kang then to Toph, the Chief sensing the change in Zu's demeanour.

"I'm afraid not Chief, The Boys and I got a visitor yesterday and well... he just passed out," Zu informed her, Toph quizzically looking at Zu, pressing a barefoot to the ground, sensing Kang's pulse.

"Well, he's alive... any idea what caused it?" Toph asked, but Zu shook his head.

"I don't know... we were in the middle of touring around the city and he had an episode in the park, then spaced out at the bakery, and finally passed out in the middle ring of Little Ba Sing Se," Zu explained, Toph raising a curious eyebrow to him.

"Well, get home safe, Zu. We can reschedule," Toph replied as she turned back to the corpse whilst Zu smiled and nodded.

"Cheers, Chief!" Zu thanked her before marching back home, Toph briefly smiling and scoffing to herself as he left.

Zu returned home, opening the door and trying to not hit Kang's head. Eamon and Li perked up from their chairs, running over to Zu, the Giant quickly breaking down what happened to them, both Eamon and Li worryingly looking at Kang.

"I'll go put him back to bed... and whilst he's out, do you think you could get Kane to stitch his clothes up?" Zu asked Li, gesturing to the rips and tears in Kang's shirt and baggy trousers.

"Sure thing... but uh, what do we give him if he wakes up before Kane's finished?" Li asked, his voice coiled in worry. But Eamon raised a passive palm to Li.

"Kang and I are about the same size... I can lend him some of my clothes," Eamon reassured them. Zu thanked him before striding off upstairs, removing Kang's ripped up shirt and trousers, his body shuddering as he did.

"This doesn't feel right at all... but it needs to be done," Zu told himself as he lay Kang down, covering him up with the blanket as Eamon strode in, quickly dressing Kang in a few of his clothes.

"Never thought I'd dress a grown man before..." Eamon muttered as Zu chuckled.

"Come on, let's take these to Kane," Zu replied as the two exited the room, leaving Kang to rest.

Deep within the Dragon flats borough, a gang of ruffians sneaked through a Red wooden door, looking around before entering. The gruff bandits waltzed through the building without a care in the world, until they came across a man dressed in a dapper suit, a white-collared shirt covered his torso underneath his dark red blazer, whilst dark red pants and black leather shoes covered his lower body, a sleek crimson tie adorned his neck. Small wrinkles crawled over his face, his smile oozed with malice as his pale blue eyes stared at the ruffians like two poisonous knives. His hair a slicked-back grey with aggressive sideburns down his face.

"So, boys. How did your little job go?" The Dapper man asked, his voice coming across as malice cloaked with formality.

"We couldn't get Zu, boss... he had some kid with him and we couldn't-" The ruffians spoke as the Boss strode towards them, the wood creaking under his feet.

"Some lousy kid stopped you? Or do none of you have the guts to kill a kid?" The boss shouted, frightening the ruffians.

"We're sorry, boss! We didn't want to risk a witness!" The ruffians cowered, bending to their knees, pleading for forgiveness as the Boss smirked at them.

"I like it when you pitiful gits beg," The Boss replied, kicking the group of ruffians down with one swooping kick.

"It gives me peace of mind that you know your place in the pecking order," The boss added as he dusted down the leg he struck out with, standing back up, his posture straightening as he grasped the roll line of his blazer.

"I'll give you louts one last shot, and if you don't bring me Zu's oversized head on a silver platter, then I'll be taking yours and feeding you to the buzzard-wasps!" The Boss casually threatened them, the Ruffians perking up, cowering before the Boss.

"As you say, Boss!" The Ruffians replied, quickly leaving his sight, the Boss smirking as they ran, turning around and returning to his quarters.


	3. Memories of Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Boys dive deeper into Kang's mystery, and seek out the grave to pay their respects.

Kang stood within the Agni Kai arena outside his home, looking around at the scorched ground as his footsteps echoed throughout the terrain, turning around to see his mother Azula standing before him, taking a sharp breath as he walked to her.

"Mother?" Kang muttered, his voice echoing throughout the land, but as Kang continued his approach, blue embers flickered around Azula, her clothes setting alight as she locked her empty stare on to Kang.

Kang stood, paralysed on the spot, his mother and surrounding foliage setting alight with Azure flames, everything burning around him.

Kang's body thrashed and rolled around in the bed, muttering to himself whilst Zu, Li and Eamon watched over him with worry in their eyes.

"We need to wake him up!" Zu spoke aloud, sitting up and walking over to Kang, his hands poised, but Li interjected, leaping in front of Zu.

"Don't! If you wake him up unnaturally, chances are you're gonna look like the Fire Lord by the end of it!" Li warned him as Zu disapprovingly scowled at him.

"Really? You couldn't have used a better analogy?" Zu asked him, Li scoffing as he shook his head.

"Look, you get my point! If you wake him up, chances are he's going to burn us!" Li argued as Zu let out a disgruntled grunt, stepping back and taking a seat whilst Eamon sat poised with his hand over a bowl of water.

The Azure flames continued consuming the surrounding as Kang's mother limped toward him, her flaming arms outstretching towards the petrified Kang.

"Why did you do it, Kang!?" Azula asked, her anguished voice echoing throughout the nightmare.

"I... I didn't mean to I-" Kang spoke, his heart racing faster than Zu had ever sensed. Azula fell to her scorched knees, her hands latching onto Kang like a pair of vices.

"I gave you all my love, and you repaid it with murder!" Azula snarled, her body melting away before Kang's eyes as he stood there speechless, choking on his words, the ground cracking beneath him as Azula's grip tighten, her nails sinking into his skin. The young Fire-bender tried to shake her off as bloody, muck covered hands launched up from beneath Kang's feet, latching onto his legs and pulling him down.

"Murderer!" "Monster!" Raspy voices cried as the hands pulled him down, latching onto the rest of his body as Azula held him still, her face melting before Kang's eyes as the ground consumed him into unending darkness.

Kang's body shot up, his eyes sparking open as he swung his fist, but Eamon quickly flicked the water at Kang's hand.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Kang cried, a bright azure flame burning atop his fist, but Eamon's water quickly quelled it as the water froze around his hand. Zu and Li shot up from their seats, looking at Kang, his breath ragged, sweat rolling down his face as he stared into the distance.

Eamon recalled the water, unfreezing it and placing it back in the bowl, Kang's arms heavily dropping to his side as Zu and Li walked over to him, the Giant squatting down to his side with a hand to Kang's back.

"Kang... if you don't mind my asking, what's going on?" Zu asked as Kang continued looking into the distance, slowly regaining control of his breath whilst Li shimmied in, squatting next to Zu as he looked to Kang, shortly followed by Eamon squatting on the opposite side of the bed.

Kang looked around at them, choking on his words as he tried to speak.

"Take your time, we've got all day," Zu reassured him with a light pat to his back.

"Try taking a deep breath, usually helps," Li told him, Kang doing as he said, closing his eyes, trying to get the words out.

"I... killed my mother..." Kang muttered, taking aback The Boys as they all looked to one another, tears shedding from Kang's eyes as he pulled his knees to his head, wrapping his arms around them.

"Why did you do it?" Eamon asked, instantly receiving disapproving looks from Zu and Li, Eamon shrugging with a questioning look. Kang shook his head as the three gazed at him.

"I didn't mean to... I got carried away, I thought she would block the hit... but the flames, those stupid flames!" Kang sobbed, punching the bed, the mattress cushioning his fist as his other hand clenched his knee.

"They scorched her, I tried to get help, but they turned me away... and she died because of me! The only person I had, and I... killed her..." Kang told them, his voice cracking as his eyes broke like a dam, the tears rolling down his face whilst Zu, Li and Eamon speechlessly sat back, Kang's grief echoing throughout the room amongst their silence.

"Did you... bury her?" Eamon curiously asked, leaning towards Kang as the grief-stricken fire-bender raised his head, turning his tear-stained gaze to Eamon and slowly nodding.

"I... buried her on the hill near our hut... I planted a tree seed with her and left the cart by the bottom of the hill," Kang explained, his tears slowly stopping as Zu, Li and Eamon stood up, sitting atop the bed next to Kang, the young Fire-bender curiously looking around at them.

"It may not mean much, but we're here for you, buddy," Zu told Kang as he placed his beefy arm around him, the size dwarfing Kang as he fell in towards Zu, the warmth of the Giant's hug thawing the young Fire-bender's chilling sadness.

"We aren't going to be much of an improvement, but we'll take care of you!" Eamon added, placing his hand on Kang's back.

"We might not know you very well, but under this house we're family!" Li told him with a big grin along his face as Kang lightly smiled, drying his eyes and looking to The Boys.

"I don't deserve that... but thank you," Kang replied, his head hanging low. The Boys stood up from the bed, the mattress elevating as the three stepped off.

"You try to get some rest Kang, nightmares can leave you feeling drained," Zu recommended as Kang nodded, slowly laying back down as the three exited the room.

The Boys entered the living room, Zu spreading his mass across a leather sofa whilst Li lounged atop his leather chair and Eamon perched atop his wooden rocking chair, a brief silence looming over them.

"He said he buried her on top of a hill, right?" Eamon whispered, catching the attention of Zu and Li.

"Yeah... why?" Li quietly asked, leaning forward as he gazed at Eamon.

"Did he mention where he's from to you, Zu?" Eamon asked, looking to Zu as the giant stroked his beard.

"I think he said he was from the North of the Earth Kingdom when we were talking and you two were dozing," Zu replied, keeping his voice down.

"What do you say we go pay our respects to her?" Eamon asked, enthusiastically looking to them, Zu smirking as Li lightly shook his head.

"Yeah, I think that'd be good," Zu approvingly replied.

"We didn't even know her... wouldn't it seem weird?" Li asked, looking to Zu and Eamon as he flexed his arms out.

"It's possible her spirit still lingers there... I know that our combined spirituality couldn't fit into one of Kane's thimbles, but if her death being accidental is true... perhaps she didn't die with hate in her heart and is worried sick about her son," Zu explained to Li, the scruffy water-bender looking to the floor with a heavy stare, Zu's words running through his mind.

"... Alright, I'm in," Li replied, Zu and Eamon smiling approvingly.

"Should we tell him?" Eamon asked, the three standing up as Zu raised a finger, catching their attention.

"Leave a note... we don't know how Kang would respond. Just tell him we're out for the day," Zu replied as Eamon nodded, running to a next-door room, writing the note and leaving it on the table with a small sack of coins. The boys exited the house as Kang rested upstairs, venturing out into the Sunrise illuminated city, an idea popping into Zu's mind.

"Say, the florist is open, right?" Zu asked, Eamon and Li quizzically looking to him.

"Yeah, she opens at Sunrise every morning," Eamon replied, crossing his arms.

"Let's go get some Sapphire Lilies and plant them around the hilltop Kang mentioned!" Zu told them, Eamon and Li nodding and approving of his plan.

The Boys ran to the florist, picking up a large sack of Sapphire Lily seeds and making a few other stops before carrying the seed sack to the border of the city.

"You're sure this is north, Zu?" Li asked as they looked to the horizon.

"I'm sure, hop aboard you two!" Zu replied, crouching down for the two.

Eamon and Li hopped onto Zu's massive shoulders as he leapt onto the earth beneath him, forming waves beneath his feet and skating along the ground off into the distance.

Kang awoke hours later, striding down the staircase, the wooden boards creaking under his weight.

"Zu? Li? Eamon?" Kang called out, hearing no response as he entered the living room, spying a letter with a sack of gold pieces sat atop it, curiously walking over and picking up the sack and letter.

" _Dear Kang, Zu, Li and I had to go out for the day. We'll be back by nightfall or tomorrow. Help yourself to anything or take a trip around the city. From Eamon,"_ Kang read aloud, letting out a melancholy sigh as he looked at the sack, gazing inside to see one hundred gold pieces, his eyebrows raising as the gold glistened in the sun rays peeking through the windows.

"Well... I guess I'll go see the rest of the city," Kang told himself, wandering out the front door and into the city.

Kang travelled the city all day, taking in the sights, as well as keeping his eyes away from any reminders, even his own reflection.

Zu, Li and Eamon travelled for hours before arriving near a large patch of scorched earth, curiously looking around at it. The Boys looked to one another with silent affirmation as Eamon and Li investigated the surrounding area, discovering charred bones and blackened wood, Zu stood amidst the ashen ground, wiggling his giant toes against it as the unsure Eamon and Li returned.

"Kang said he went for help but got turned away, right?" Eamon nervously asked as he looked around.

"Yeah... do you think this was the place?" Zu asked as he looked around, his heart sinking as he did.

"It'd make sense... we're in the Northern Earth Kingdom, there's burnt... everything here..." Eamon continued theorising as his heart slowly raced.

"... We're harbouring a kid with enough power to roast an entire village!" Li exclaimed, placing his hands to his head as he ruffled his hair.

"Li, we don't know if he did this!" Zu protested, but Eamon shook his head.

"I know you think he's a good kid, Zu, but..." Eamon replied, his mouth hanging ajar as he looked around.

"Eamon, if these people really turned him away in a desperate time of need. Would we have reacted any different?" Zu asked them, his tone low and serious.

"Would we scorch an entire village? No... that's just..." Eamon replied, trying to argue his point.

"These people could've helped Kang, but they turned him away... People are complicated, they overreact when stricken with grief... and this is the result of Kang's grief," Zu explained, Eamon and Li's postures slumping as they let out a heavy sigh.

"Well... let's just keep moving, there's nothing we can do for them," Li told them as he sauntered off, shortly followed by a silent Zu and Eamon.

The Boys arrived at the hilltop, seeing a broken cart near the bottom. They strode up the hill, seeing a small sapling surrounded by a circle of stones atop the hill.

"I think this is the place," Zu told them, the wind rustling through his mighty black beard.

"Took us long enough... there are so many hills in the Earth Kingdom," Li complained as he stretched his arms.

"Yes, but the times we got lost are strictly off the book!" Zu jested as he opened the sack of seeds.

"Now, let's spread these out!" Zu proclaimed, both Eamon and Li sceptically looking to him.

"Uh, Zu... do you know how to plant seeds?" Li asked with a raised eyebrow, the Giant turning to them with the sack in hand.

"Well... yeah, you just throw them out and let nature do the work, right?" Zu asked as he shimmied his enormous hand out to the horizon.

"You're supposed to put them in the ground Zu, not on it," Eamon corrected him, Zu looking away a tad embarrassed.

"I was, uh... testing you! I knew that!" Zu unconvincingly lied as he stood tall, placing the sack by his feet, raising his hands to the hilltop, taking in a deep breath as he closed his eyes, feeling the ground beneath him whilst Eamon and Li silently looked at him.

Zu sharply inhaled, snapping his fingers as several holes in the hilltop popped open, the dirt shooting up into the air as Zu swished his arms around, tossing the spat out dirt away.

"Alright boys, get to planting!" Zu commanded.

"Aren't you going to help?" Eamon asked as Zu marched to the bottom of the hill.

"What me? No, I'd squish the seeds and the holes I made for you!" Zu replied, kicking up a large earthen chair.

"Besides, I have a letter to compose!" Zu informed them as he perched atop his earthy chair, bending out a leg rest as he lent back into it.

"A letter for who?" Li asked as Eamon went to grab the seed sack.

"Kang, of course," Zu replied as he pulled out a paper and quill, pulling up a piece of earth for him to rest the paper on.

"Do you really think he'll come back here?" Eamon asked as he took a handful of seeds, beginning to plant them.

"I don't know... but if he does, he'll want to know who decorated the hilltop," Zu informed them as he began writing, Li shrugging as he left to help Eamon.

Hours passed by whilst Li and Eamon planted the Sapphire lily seeds and Zu composed his letter, the Giant pulling out a small red chest and curiously looking at it.

"Hey, Li. You got the Airtight chest, right?" Zu asked as Li placed his hand on his back, groaning as he stood up straight.

"Yeah, I bought it from Lin's Ironworks before we left," Li replied, Zu smiling at him.

"Ah! Good choice!" Zu complimented him as he flicked the box open, placing the letter inside.

Zu kicked his earthy chair back into the ground, erecting a small pillar in front of him as Eamon and Li approached.

"Alright, we're done," Eamon breathlessly told him, sweat rolling down his face as Zu smiled, placing the red chest down then pointing his fingers at the base of the red chest, flicking up earthen latches onto the legs.

"We aren't done just yet, boys... come on," Zu told them, gesturing to Hill's peak as he marched up to it, shortly followed by Eamon and Li.

The Boys stood before Azula's grave, cupping the hands near their waists as Zu took a deep breath.

"Greetings, mother of Kang. We've heard about what happened between you and your son, and I believe in my oversized heart, that he never meant to kill you," Zu sombrely spoke. Azula's spirit standing before them, invisible to their eyes.

"We didn't know you... but we wanted to come and pay our respects, and let you know that Kang is in safe hands," Zu continued his speech, Azula's spirit sorrowfully smiling as she looked to Zu.

"Me and my boys will look after him in your stead, and we hope you didn't die with hate in your heart, and that you will rest in peace," Zu finished his speech, placing his fist to his palm in front of him, bowing to Azula's grave, Eamon and Li doing the same as Azula's spirit smiled at them.

"Thank you... whoever you three are," Azula's Spirit spoke to them, her words passing through them as they left.

Zu, Li and Eamon strode down the hilltop, taking the same path back to Republic City.

The Gibbous-moon hung high in the sky, stars scattered around it as Kang strode around the upper ring of Little Ba Sing Se, seeing an open restaurant in the distance. The young Fire-bender approached the restaurant, stepping inside, wooden tables filled with people surrounded the interior whilst one empty large table sat atop a podium in the centre. Red carpet covered the hardwood floor as the scent of various foods smacked Kang's senses whilst a server adorned in a dapper black and white suit approached Kang.

"Welcome to the Avatar approved Sky Bison Diner!" The server happily greeted Kang.

"Am I... allowed in here?" Kang asked as he cautiously looked around at everyone.

"Good sir, as long as the patron can pay, we allow them in!" The server reassured Kang, a bright smirk coming across his face.

"There is a free table just this way, sir!" The server added, guiding Kang to the free table. Kang took a seat as the server stood by his table.

"What would you like?" The server asked, pulling out a small notepad and quill whilst Kang observed the menu, seeing an option which put a nostalgic pit in his stomach.

"The Roast Duck with rice, if you can," Kang replied in a melancholy tone, the server nodding and writing down Kang's order as he left for the kitchen.

Whilst Kang waited, five people strode through the door. A bald man with Air-bending master tattoos adorning his head, and a beard which covered the lower sides of his face, his eyes grey, and his entire body covered with yellow and orange monk robes.

A woman with long flowing brown hair and hair loopies decorating the side of her head, her eyes a pale blue, and she wore a flowing pure blue dress with a water tribe betrothal necklace adorning her neck.

Two young adults followed the couple, a boy with short brown hair and grey eyes, adorned in maroon robes and a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and teal eyes wearing a frilly blue dress, and finally, Toph wearing her uniform armour strode in behind them, and as the family walked in, the entire restaurant threw themselves into an uproar.

"Avatar Aang!" "Katara! Katara!" "We love you!" The restaurant patrons cheered, Aang smirking and waving whilst Katara smiled and waved to them. Their children shortly following behind, grimacing at the attention.

Toph kept the frantic people in their seats whilst Aang, Katara and their children took their seats atop the podium table, Toph waited for them to sit down before taking her leave, surprising the Avatar.

"Are you not staying, Toph?" Aang asked, placing his elbow to the table with his fingers interwoven under his chin whilst Toph turned back around, looking in Aang's direction.

"I'm not one for restaurants, Twinkle Toes. I'll see you around," Toph dismissively replied as she strode towards the front door, but as Kang tapped his foot on the ground, the vibrations coursed through the floor, flowing over to Toph before she exited the restaurant, the Police Chief turning around and looking in Kang's direction, sensing him sat at a table.

Toph walked over to him, Kang's heart skipping a beat as the Chief sat down in front of Kang, his heart racing as he looked at her.

"Hello... Miss," Kang nervously greeted her, Toph scoffing and smiling at him.

"You're that kid Zu was carrying the other day!" Toph replied, interweaving her fingers atop the table.

"... You know Zu?" Kang asked, his eyebrow raising.

"I do. He used to work as a part of the Metal-Bending Police," Toph explained, letting out a melancholy sigh, "... but he got bored..." Toph sombrely added, Kang's eyes widening as he gazed upon Toph's metal armour.

"Metal-bending..." Kang muttered as he inspected Toph's armour.

"Yep, invented it myself!" Toph proudly replied as she got comfortable.

"If you invented it... and train an entire group to use it... then why do you wear metal armour?" Kang asked, Toph tripping over her words as his question ran through her mind.

"Well... to signify we're metal-benders, kinda like how Fire-benders wear red, Water-benders wear blue..." Toph explained, raising a curious eyebrow to Kang.

"But Zu left... and he's still a metal-bender, right?" Kang asked, Toph slowly nodding.

"Well, yeah... it's not like he can turn it off," Toph quizzically replied as she casually leant on the table

"Then that means if other people left then... you're putting yourself at a disadvantage by wearing metal," Kang explained, Toph's blind eyes widening as her metal armour seemingly tensed.

"Huh... you've got a point there, kid... I guess its time for a uniform make-over!" Toph heartily replied, Kang smirking at her.

"So... where's Zu? I thought you'd be clinging to him like Twinkle Toes clings to Sugar Queen up there," Toph asked, gesturing to Katara and Aang sat atop the podium, catching the Avatar's attention.

"So much for 'not being one for restaurants'," Aang muttered as he observed the two

"Oh... Zu, Li and Eamon are out of the city for the day... they didn't say why," Kang replied with a melancholy tone, his roast duck and rice finally arriving.

"Your meal, sir!" The server greeted him before sauntering off. Kang looked to the meal as Toph sniffed the emitting aroma.

"Would you like some?" Kang asked as Toph smiled at him.

"If you don't mind," Toph replied, the two feasting on the meal together, and as Toph and Kang ate, a giant vibration surged through the ground, catching Toph's attention as the two finished.

"Zu's back," Toph told Kang, the confused Fire-bender raising an eyebrow to her.

"How do you know?" Kang curiously asked, Toph proudly smirking as she gestured to her feet.

"A little Earth-Bender trick I've perfected. I sense vibrations in the ground, and use my feet to see," Toph explained, smirking as she looked to the door, "... as for Zu... he could sneak around on his tiptoes and I could sense him from a mile away!" Toph jested as the two stood up from the table, Kang tossing the remaining gold to the server on his way out, the Server bowing his head to Kang as he and Toph left.

Toph led Kang right to Zu, surprising the Giant and his Boys as they worryingly looked to the two.

"Chief! Did Kang get into trouble?" Zu asked as Toph and Kang stood before him, the two looking up at him.

"Don't worry you Big Softy. I found him in that restaurant and I've just been chatting with him," Toph reassured him as Kang stood between the two.

"Thanks for keeping an eye out for him, Chief," Zu replied, patting Kang's back as Toph smiled.

"See you at the Tavern tomorrow?" Toph asked as she began walking away.

"Definitely!" Zu replied as the two went their separate ways, The Boys and Kang striding back towards the Derelict estate.

"So... Zu, where did you guys go?" Kang asked as he looked up to Zu.

"Ah, just some... family business," Zu lied, causing Toph to curiously turn around, raising an eyebrow to the Giant.

"Why would he lie about where he went?" Toph asked herself, thinking as she continued her walk back home.


	4. An Eamon Outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kang and Eamon go for a night out, hoping to get to know one another better, but someone prowls the Republic City streets in the dead of night.

Eamon lay asleep in his wooden rocking chair, rocking back and forth as the evening sun descended over the Horizon. However, the creaking entrance of Zu disturbed the Water-bender's slumber, his eyes flickering open as he looked to the Giant.

"Could you enter any louder?" Eamon groaned as he gazed through his slanted eyes.

"Could _you_ sleep any lighter?" Zu sarcastically replied, Eamon scoffing as he tipped his head back. But Zu plucked the Water-bender from his chair, standing him up on the floor.

"Do you have to do that?" Eamon groaned again as he yawned, stretching his muscles as Zu crossed his arms, waiting for the Water-bender to finish.

"I've got you and Kang two tickets for the 'Boy in the Iceberg' play," Zu told him, flicking up two tickets, Eamon's eyes agitatedly widening at the tickets.

"Oh, come on! I hate that play!" Eamon protested, Zu chuckling as he held out the tickets.

"I know, that's why I'm sending you there!" Zu replied as Eamon swiped the tickets.

"And don't even think about skipping out, because I got a few of my friends in the Police Force to keep an eye out for you," Zu informed Eamon, the Water-bender rolling his eyes as he glared at Zu.

"You just enjoy torturing me," Eamon sarcastically groaned, pocketing the tickets and crossing his arms.

"Just a little," Zu chuckled, patting Eamon on the shoulder before departing out the front door.

"Where are you going?" Eamon asked as Zu perked his head back through the door.

"The Tavern!" Zu replied, strutting out into the Derelict Estate. Eamon lightly scoffed as he went upstairs, passing by a sleeping Li and entering Kang's room, finding him gazing out the window.

"Kang?" Eamon spoke aloud, spooking the Fire-bender as he twisted around.

"Eamon?" Kang asked as Eamon strode in, presenting the tickets to him.

"Our Big Friendly Giant got us tickets to a play... and he's going to know if we don't go," Eamon grumbled as Kang raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"What's a play?" Kang asked, shrugging as Eamon stood surprised.

"Well... it's where people act out a story on stage, usually from storybooks or historical legends," Eamon explained, Kang oohing as he spoke.

"When does it start?" Kang curiously asked as Eamon looked on the back of the tickets.

"At moonrise... jeez, you think they'd use an actual time," Eamon replied, pocketing the tickets once more as the two left the house, marching out into Republic City.

"So, you're a Fire-bender, right?" Eamon asked as Kang nodded, "can you generate lightning?" Eamon asked, hiding his giddiness as Kang stopped walking, looking to the ground and his hands.

"I... could, but I Don't know if I can now," Kang sombrely replied as Eamon lightly gasped.

 _"Oh, yeah... can't do it without a peaceful mind..."_ Eamon thought to himself as he grimaced.

"Sorry for bringing it up," Eamon apologised as Kang shook his head.

"It's alright... why were you asking?" Kang sceptically asked as Eamon scoffed at himself.

"I was wondering if you could teach me... lightning redirection?" Eamon asked as Kang raised a bemused eyebrow.

"... why?" Kang uneasily asked.

"I read about it in Avatar Aang's book, first edition, and the way he described the sheer power rushing through you is something I kinda want to experience, to test my limits!" Eamon fanatically explained as Kang raised an eyebrow to him.

"You could've just said 'it sounds cool and I want to try it'," Kang jested as Eamon scoffed.

"Well, perhaps after this play you can give me a few lessons?" Eamon asked as Kang nodded with a smirk, the water-bender pumping his arms as the two returned to their venture, seeing the sky darken as they made their way to the Fire-spotlight illuminated Theatre hall.

The monolithic theatre hall dwarfed the crowd of people gathered to watch the play.

"It'd be great if someone could blow this place up," Eamon muttered, Kang's eyebrows curiously raising as he listened to Eamon, shrugging it off as they approached two armoured Police Officers.

"Ah, Eamon and Kang. Zu told us you'd be here," One of the Police Officers told them as Eamon handed over the tickets.

"Not of our own choice," Eamon groaned as the Police Officers chuckled.

"Enjoy the show, Water Boy," The other Police Officer jested as Eamon rolled his eyes, Kang shortly following behind.

The two marched into the theatre hall, the chattering of small groups filling the air whilst the stage sat dimly lit, awaiting the performers.

"You don't seem to like this play very much," Kang spoke aloud as Eamon looked to him, briefly snorting as he gazed to the stage.

"I hate it because it's hardly accurate to the true story of Avatar Aang," Eamon replied as Kang got quizzically comfy in his seat.

"How so?" Kang asked, shrugging as Eamon placed his feet on the back of a chair in front of him.

"It's gone through twenty or more rewrites, and they still can't portray the story properly, even after getting a breakdown from Avatar Aang and his friends, they insist on throwing their own rubbish into the story," Eamon explained, waving his hands around in front of himself as Kang slowly nodded.

"Like what?" Kang asked him, his curiosity growing.

"It's a long list, but I'll keep it short. They insist on casting Avatar Aang as a woman... I don't know why, and neither does the Avatar. They tried ham-fisting The Fire Lord and Sokka into an 'enemies to lovers' relationship, something they both disapproved of," Eamon explained, shifting his posture in the chair.

"They even tried putting the Fire Lord and Katara together in the same way, which the Avatar was not happy about. There are more things, but to put it simply... Avatar Aang's Books about their travels is much better," Eamon explained as the bewildered Kang sat next to him, slowly nodding before getting comfy again.

The curtains of the stage raised, the spotlights illuminating the stage as Eamon let out one last dismissive groan, watching the play begin. Water flooded out onto the stage, being held in place as the actors of Sokka and Katara sailed out onto it.

"Oh, my oafish brother! We sail these icy seas, and yet we find nothing fulfilling," The Katara Actor dramatically spoke.

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach, I'm starving!" The Sokka Actor sarcastically replied, looking out to the crowd as a handful of people chuckled whilst the scowling Eamon's finger slid up his temple.

"You would think after so many rewrites they'd pick a better opening joke," Eamon muttered whilst Kang watched on.

The duo watched the story play out, Aang's Actor awakening from her iceberg prison, and Zuko's Actor and Iroh's Actor sailing through the icy waters.

"Prince Zuko, come and sit with this lovely cup of jasmine tea!" Iroh's actor calmly spoke, Eamon's eyebrows lightly raising as he watched.

"Tea must wait, my uncle! I must capture the honour and regain my Avatar!" Zuko's Actor proudly proclaimed, lightly blushing as the crowd chuckled and murmured.

"Surely you mean 'capture the Avatar and regain your honour', Prince Zuko? Perhaps the Tea will help with your muddled sentences," The Iroh Actor improvised, as the Zuko Actor twisted to him.

"I do not need your tea, Uncle! All I need is the Avatar!" Zuko's Actor growled, proudly pointing to the skies as their boat sailed further.

Kang and Eamon continued watching, seeing their trip to the Southern Air Temple, the arrival of the Kyoshi Warriors, The Trials of King Bumi, The Pirate encounter until they reached the Blue Spirit.

Admiral Zhao's actor stood atop the stage, surrounded by mock fire nation soldiers, whilst Aang's Actor stood chained up atop a podium.

"Finally! I have captured the Avatar out from under The Prince's nose!" The Zhao Actor proclaimed, laughing to himself as a blue masked man appeared on the stage.

"Who dares attack the Fire Nation!?" The Zhao actor dramatically asked as the Blue Spirit Actor sauntered in, striking the mock soldiers whilst Zhao's actor ran with a tail between his legs.

Eamon begrudgingly sighed, Kang sighing with him as the two continued watching, seeing the events of the freedom fighters, and finally the siege of the Northern Water Tribe.

A Giant mockery of the Koizilla flowed out onto the water atop the stage, smacking and thrashing away cut-outs of Fire Nation ships, holding a doll of Zhao. A roar boomed across the theatre hall as the Mockery of Koizilla threw the Zhao Doll into the water, swishing it away behind the curtains as they fell.

"Did Admiral Zhao just die?" Kang quietly asked as Eamon shrugged.

"You know, it was really unclear," Eamon whispered back as the curtains raised, revealing the Actors of Ozai and Azula, Kang's eyebrows raising as he saw them.

"Who are they?" Kang asked as Eamon leant in, looking at the actors.

"Pretty sure that's Fire Lord Ozai and his daughter," Eamon whispered as they continued watching.

The fire flickered along the stage whilst Ozai's actor sat atop the throne, and Azula's actor knelt before him.

"Our foolish brothers are traitors to the Great Fire Nation! And now the task of capturing the Avatar falls to you, my prodigal daughter!" Ozai's Actor dramatically proclaimed as Azula's actor stood up, presenting herself to the crowd as Kang's eyes widened.

"Fear not, father! For I the Great Azula shall capture the Avatar! With the help of my subordinates" Azula's actor proudly proclaimed, actors of Ty Lee and Mai strutting out onto the stage.

Kang took a sharp breath as the Azula Actor maniacally laughed, her laughter hitting Kang's ears, tears growing in his eyes as the soft laugh of his mother echoed in his mind, visions of her warm smile permeating his mind as the Young Fire-bender's heart broke, his arms trembling.

"Kang? Are you okay?" Eamon quietly asked, catching the unimpressed attention of the other viewers. Kang sat petrified as the curtains shut, his body quaking as Eamon tried snapping him out of it.

"Come on, let's go," Eamon whispered, helping the trembling Fire-bender up from his seat as the two made their way out of the theatre hall. Kang collapsed to his knees, hitting the stone ground as his body shook all over, Eamon squatted next to him as he placed his hand on the Young Fire-bender's back.

"You were reminded of her again, weren't you?" Eamon softly asked as Kang slowly nodded, rain falling on the two, a raindrop hitting Eamon before he bent the water to his will, forming an icy umbrella over the two.

"Let's get back home, and if Zu complains, do you mind if I tell him what happened?" Eamon asked as he and Kang slowly stood up.

"I... don't mind," Kang shakily replied as Eamon put an arm around the Young Fire-bender, holding the icy umbrella up as they made their way back to the Derelict Estate.

The rain fell heavily whilst Eamon and Kang made their way back to the Derelict Estate, but on their way, the duo spied a black-haired armoured police officer fighting against several ruffians.

Eamon and Kang ducked behind a corner, watching the Police Officer flick metal out at the ruffians, bending it around their bodies and flipping and smacking them around like rag dolls.

"Do you think we should help?" Kang asked as they watched the Police Officer fight.

"That's Sergeant Kuvira, Zu's old partner... she'll be fine," Eamon whispered as they saw Kuvira latch a ruffian to a lamppost, restraining them before restraining the other Ruffians by their wrists and ankles, the remaining Ruffians flopping to the ground, groaning as they tried to remove their metal binds.

"You bandits should be wiser when picking your fights," Kuvira mocked them, rolling her wrists as two other Police Officers approached. Eamon and Kang raising an eyebrow to their sudden appearance.

"Are you okay, Sergeant?" The Police officer asked, his voice seemingly sleazy. But Kuvira scoffed, crossing her arms as she looked at the two.

"I'm fine, but why are you two here?" Kuvira curiously asked, the two Police Officers smirking to each other.

"They're here on my orders," A malicious voice called out, Kuvira turning around to see a man in a red dapper suit approach her, his hands pocketed and his posture straight.

"Yakone? What are you talking about?" Kuvira asked as the Police Officers compressed the metal on Kuvira's armour, squashing it into her body as she gasped and fell to the floor, Eamon and Kang watching on in horror.

"These useless louts couldn't get me Zu, but they served as a brilliant diversion," Yakone told her, thunder rumbling as he loomed over the Suffering Sergeant.

"Now I can use you as bait to lure him out," Yakone menacingly told her.

"We need to help!" Kang agitatedly whispered, charging into Yakone, but Eamon grabbed his arm, pulling him back and signalling for him to be quiet.

"Are you insane? That's Yakone, one of the most psychotic bastards in this city!" Eamon worryingly whispered, but his words hit Yakone's ears. The Devilish man chuckling, sending a chill down Eamon's spine.

"Eamon, fancy meeting you here," Yakone sinisterly called over, slowly slithering over to Eamon and Kang.

The Duo stepped out, revealing themselves to the Devilish man, making him stop in his tracks.

"Ooh, a new stray. Let me guess... Fire-bender?" Yakone mockingly asked as Eamon looked to Kang.

"Kang... you can fight, right?" Eamon asked as Kang smirked, remaining silent before charging in at Yakone, Eamon ruffling his hair in horror as Yakone chuckled.

"Ooh, he's feisty!" Yakone jested as he pulled the rainwater to his side, but Kang launched himself forward on Jets of Azure fire, punching out and into Yakone's gut, the Devilish Man lost control over the water as Kang launched his leg up, striking Yakone once more as he propelled himself and the Devilish man into the air, kicking out in a crescent, boosting himself up with jets of Azure flame and performing a second crescent kick, the two seemingly floating in the air as Kang struck his arm up, kicking out and boosting himself into Yakone and to the floor. Eamon, The Rogue Police Officers, and Kuvira watching in awe.

Yakone smacked down onto the floor, the force throwing him back up as Kang viciously spun and kicked out multiple times in quick succession, keeping Yakone airborne before delivering a final upper kick, launching the Devilish man along the ground. Yakone groaned in pain as Kang stood triumphantly.

"Boss!" The Rogue Police Officers shouted, rushing over to Yakone and hoisting him up.

"You're lucky it's not a full moon, kid..." Yakone groaned as the Rogue Police Officers hauled him away. Eamon ran up to Kang, watching Yakone get dragged away whilst amazed by Kang.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Eamon quizzically asked as Kang looked to Eamon.

"I'll tell you later. For now, we need to get her some help!" Kang exclaimed, rushing over to Kuvira as she lay on the ground, her face turning a pale blue as the Duo knelt next to her.

"There should be some latches on the sides of the armour, ping them off and we can get this off her," Eamon informed Kang as the two began searching for the latches, snapping them off with all their strength before the Metal chest plate pinged away from Kuvira's chest, the breathless Sergeant gasping for her life as she hazily gazed at the two.

"Thanks," Kuvira muttered, passing out before them. Eamon picked Kuvira off the floor, standing up along with Kang.

"Let's get to the hospital, I'll lead the way," Eamon told the Young Fire-bender before sprinting off down the path.

"Of course you will, it's not like I know where it is," Kang replied, pursuing Eamon to the Hospital.

Zu flung the massive doors of the Tavern open, the stench of wine and ale smacking his senses, the Giant closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his nose, pleasurably moaning to himself.

"That's the stuff!" Zu muttered, opening his eyes and looking around at the light wooden interior of the Tavern, patrons gathered around tables and others sat at the Bar, a long wooden table with the Barkeep directly in front of them. Zu strode into the well-lit interior, spotting a woman in black metal armour sat around, twirling her thumbs with one foot on the ground.

"Chief!" Zu called over to the armoured woman, standing next to her as the Barkeep gazed at the Giant.

"Barkeep, can you fetch me my chair?" Zu politely asked as the Barkeep nodded.

"Of course you walking mountain," The Barkeep replied, ducking under the Bar and pulling out a barstool three times the size of the regulars. Zu happily took the gigantic stool, placing himself next to The Chief.

"Took your time getting here, Zu," Toph told him, lightly smacking his arm with the back of her hand.

"Well, I figured I'd torture Eamon a little and send him off to that Play. Along with Kang," Zu chuckled, waving to the Barkeep, pointing to a cask of wine behind him, Toph doing the same.

"Speaking of Kang... I have a question for you, Zu," Toph dauntingly spoke as the Barkeep placed their wine in front of them, handing Toph a regular-sized glass whilst giving Zu a tankard.

"Yes, we raided the Bakery again," Zu nonchalantly replied, chugging his wine as Toph lightly scoffed.

"It's about Kang. I want to know why you lied to him," Toph asked, turning her head to the Giant as Zu briefly choked on his wine.

"Ah, balls. You heard that?" Zu disapprovingly replied.

"Well, sensed it. Now answer the question," Toph sharply replied, briefly sipping her wine as Zu took a deep breath.

"The Kid... killed his mother," Zu sombrely replied, looking down at his wine as Toph lightly jerked back.

"There must be more than that," Toph replied, turning her full attention to Zu as he lightly hung his head.

"He didn't give a lot of details, can't say I blame him. But I think it involved an Agni Kai, and he ended up scorching his mother," Zu explained as Toph let out a heavy sigh, twisting back to her wine as her head lightly hung.

"Then where did you go the other day?" Toph sombrely asked as Zu looked to her.

"Me and The Boys went to pay our respects, and let her know Kang is in safe hands," Zu replied, lightly swirling his wine before taking another chug.

"Every day you become a Bigger Softy," Toph lightly scoffed, drinking her wine as Zu chuckled.

"It was the least we could do, anyway. Enough of the depressing stuff, let's drink!" Zu heartily told her, the two clinking their drinks as they drank into the night.

Toph and Zu continued drinking, the Tavern emptier than when the Giant arrived, the atmosphere seemingly slow as the Barkeep cleaned out the glasses and Tankards, occasionally listening in on The Chief and Zu's conversations, but as the two spoke, an Armoured police officer barged in, marching over to Toph, The Chief standing up in response, the two formally standing before one another.

"Chief Beifong, Sergeant Kuvira has been badly wounded, and is currently at the Southern Spirit Hospital," The Police Officer formally informed her as Zu shot up.

"Let's get going, Zu come on," Toph sharply replied, the three exiting from the Tavern. But Zu quickly flung himself back in, slinging a giant sack of gold to the Barkeep.

"Sorry, almost forgot," Zu quickly replied before shooting out of the door.

"Again," the Barkeep muttered, as he held the Sack of gold.

Zu, Toph and the Police Officer arrived at the Southern Spirit Hospital, a gigantic building, dwarfing even Zu. A sign with a water droplet and a spiritual woman swishing around it hung above the doorway.

The Police Officer bid them farewell as the Chief, and Giant rushed into the reception. Small groups of people stood around a marble floor, columns of wood supporting the ceiling, and the stench of medicine and water filling the air. Katara, The Avatar's wife, greeted them at the front door, now adorned in a white long coat with a blue undershirt, navy blue baggy trousers and grey boots, her hair tied into a braid at the back of her head with her hair loopies dangling beside her deep blue eyes.

"Toph, I was wondering when you'd get here..." Katara greeted her, slowly looking up to Zu as one of her slim eyebrows raised.

"Hey, Katara," Zu nonchalantly greeted her, waving down to the Nurse as she looked back with a slanted gaze.

"That's _Nurse_ Katara!" She adamantly replied, pointing up to the Giant as he passively raised his hands.

"That's enough, Sugar Nurse. Where's Kuvira?" Toph sharply asked, Katara leading the way through the medical wards, Zu lightly squatting as he trudged behind them.

"Would it kill you people to make places bigger?" Zu agitatedly asked as Katara quizzically looked back to him.

"Not every place can conform to your needs, Zu," Katara sharply replied as The Giant scoffed.

"It'd be nice if you did," Zu muttered as Toph chuckled. The three arrived on Kuvira's ward, several doctors in long coats stepping aside for Toph, Zu and Katara, seeing Kang and Eamon sat beside her, Zu sharply turning his gaze to the two.

"I don't know if you two have noticed, but this isn't the theatre hall," Zu disapprovingly greeted them.

"Technically it is," Toph quickly replied.

"You're thinking of a different room, Toph," Katara sharply replied.

"Oh," Toph muttered as Kang and Eamon stood up, looking to the Giant.

"We went to the Play, but we had to leave partway through," Kang informed Zu, lightly shuddering as the Giant raised a fluffy eyebrow to him, curiously looking to Eamon.

"It happened again," Eamon whispered as Zu lightly placed his hand to his mouth, shame washing over him as he knelt to Kang.

"Sorry, buddy. I didn't think that would happen," Zu apologised as Kang patted his shoulder.

"It's... fine," Kang shakily replied as the group turned to Kuvira, all worryingly looking to her, the Sergeant's chest slowly rising and falling.

"Either of you two going to explain what happened?" Zu sharply asked as he crossed his arms.

"Kuvira beat up some Ruffians, got ambushed by the police, Yakone showed up, then Kang promptly kicked his ass," Eamon nonchalantly replied as Zu's head swiftly turned to Eamon, his massive muscles tensing up as Toph quickly backed herself and Katara away.

"Would you care to run that last bit by me again?" Zu asked, anger boiling in his voice.

"Kang, uh... beat up Yakone..." Eamon sheepishly replied, Kang worryingly watching the two.

"You saw that madman, and just let Kang go in and fight him!? That bastard could have killed him!" Zu shouted, his voice booming across the ward, frightening Kang and Eamon and awakening Kuvira.

"Jeez, you Big Lummox, would you mind keeping it down?" Kuvira groaned, the Big Lummox in question quickly twisting around.

"Apologies, Sergeant. I just needed to have a word with this Dunderhead," Zu replied, lightly picking Eamon up in his mighty grasp.

"No need to be so formal, Zu. Besides, your new friend there's stronger than he looks," Kuvira told him, lightly sitting up, groaning as she did.

"Could've sworn his fire was blue... but verging on unconsciousness probably made me see things," Kuvira added, Katara's eyes widening as she gazed at Kang, Zu clearing his throat as he placed himself before Kuvira.

"Anyway, we just wanted to see how you were doing. Good to see you're still alive," Zu told her, lightly patting her shoulder, the Sergeant scoffing at his friendliness.

"It'll take more than a quick crushing to put me down," Kuvira proudly replied as Zu chuckled.

"Either way, you rest and recover, for now, I'll see you later," Zu told her, as he made way for the exit.

"Get well soon, Kuvira. And when you're back in action, I have something I want to talk to you about," Toph told her before following Zu, Kuvira lightly nodding to her as she left. Katara briefly glared at Kang, the young Fire-bender's hairs standing on end as the Nurse left.

"What was that for?" Kang muttered, Eamon quizzically looking to him.

"That's Katara... pretty sure she's always been grouchy," Eamon dismissively replied as Kang scoffed.

"That play would say otherwise," Kang jested as Eamon mockingly laughed, the duo making way for the exit.

"You two!" Kuvira raised her voice, spooking Kang and Eamon as they turned to her, raising curious eyebrows to her.

"I appreciate you saving me from Yakone. But don't go being so reckless... Zu's already lost enough to him," Kuvira adamantly replied as Kang looked to Eamon, seeing the Water-bender uneasily nodded.

"I know... We'll be careful next time," Eamon sombrely replied, Kuvira nodding as the Water-bender led Kang out the door, returning home to the Derelict Estate.

  
  
  



	5. Pacify the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kang, Li and his other tag-alongs set out into the sunlit city.

The Afternoon Sun hung high over Republic City whilst Kang taught Eamon the ways of lightning redirection, only for Li to walk in, disturbing their lesson.

"Kang! Zu's told me to spend the day with you!" Li greeted him, standing between them as the Young Fire-bender looked to the unkempt Water-bender.

"Do you have a plan to go anywhere?" Kang asked, straightening his posture as Eamon crossed his arms.

"Well, Zu sprung this on me a few minutes ago... but City Park is a nice place to relax in," Li replied, crossing his arms and swaying on his feet.

"I suppose we should get going then," Kang told him, looking to Eamon, "We'll continue later!" Kang told him as Eamon nodded.

"Yeah, although I think I've got it down now," Eamon proudly replied, seeing Kang and Li off as they strode into Republic City.

"And hey, no burning Plaques this time," Eamon told Kang, the Young Fire-bender hesitantly chuckling

Li and Kang strode through the City Park of Republic City. The crashing of waves and the wind rustling the leaves of trees filled their ears whilst the scent of flowers and the ocean pervaded their noses.

"I have to say... building a Park by the ocean is an odd idea," Kang spoke aloud as he observed the surroundings.

"Yeah... but then again, where else were they gonna build it?" Li replied with a shrug. The two found a nearby bench, sitting down as the Sun radiated their surroundings.

"So... anything you want to chat about?" Li asked, curiously looking to Kang as he pondered.

"Yeah... do you know what Sergeant Kuvira meant by 'he's already taken enough from him'," Kang asked as Li let out an uneasy sigh.

"If 'he' is who I think you're talking about, then..." Li replied, quickly observing his surroundings before looking back to Kang, "Yakone's the one who killed his family," Li whispered as Kang jumped back, horrifying curiosity crawling over the young Fire-bender.

"'But why?' You're wondering," Li told him as Kang nodded, "Well, Zu busted up his slave trading, which is also how he met Eamon, and Yakone was not happy about that," Li explained.

"Eamon used to be a slave?" Kang asked as Li nodded.

"Yeah, you wouldn't get him to talk about it though, like you, there are parts of his past he longs to forget, but they'll always be there," Li sombrely added as Kang slumped back on the bench.

"From what I heard, the psycho butchered Zu's wife and kids with an Iron Cleaver. After that, he couldn't go on, thinking it was his job that got them killed, so he quit," Li explained, slumping back and shaking his head.

"I thought he... got bored?" Kang quizzically asked as Li raised an index finger to the young Fire-bender.

"That was a coverup that only the Chief, Kuvira, Eamon, and myself know about," Li explained as Kang slowly nodded, "and so Zu came to us, and we've been thrill seeking ever since," Li added, a melancholy smile breaking over his face.

"... Is it alright if I ask why or how you... change so much?" Kang nervously asked as Li raised an eyebrow to him.

"Change so much?" Li asked, placing his hand to his chin before snapping his finger, "Oh! You mean Kaz, Kane, and Gai!" Li added as Kang slowly nodded.

"Yeah?" Kang quizzically replied as Li got comfortable.

"To put it simply, I am four people in one body," Li nonchalantly replied, Kang's eyebrow curiously raising.

"... Come again?" Kang asked as he nervously chuckled.

"Well, it's hard to explain further. I don't know why I have three other people living up here," Li replied, poking his head, "But they've always been here, and they're all benders," Li added as he slouched back.

"What elements do they bend?" Kang curiously asked as he slouched back, crossing his arms whilst looking to Li.

"Kane is a Flame-Bender, Gai is a Rock-Bender, and Kaz is a Wind-Bender," Li explained as Kang quizzically raised his eyebrow.

"I've never heard the elements referred to like that," Kang replied as he lightly tapped his foot.

"It's because if I hear the name of an element, I change to that bender," Li explained, befuddling Kang even more.

"Alright," Kang nonchalantly replied as he thought to himself, "How did you get to know Zu?" Kang asked, shrugging as Li chuckled.

"Ah! Back story time!" Li nervously replied as he stood up, sauntering around the front of the bench.

"I used to be a Doctor, the second-best doctor in Republic City!" Li fondly lamented as he outstretched his arms to the ocean.

"... Who was above you?" Kang asked as he leant forward.

"None other than Katara, the Avatar's wife," Li answered as he turned to Kang, returning to his waltz, "But that changed when I, a Nurse, and Police Officer were called out to a home, someone got a knife stabbed and snapped into their arm," Li explained as Kang winced.

"How did that happen?" Kang quizzically asked as his body swayed side to side.

"Two words that should never go together. Angry. Wife," Li jested with a hesitant chuckle, "Anyway, we arrived, the Angry Wife got restrained, then the Police Officer metal-bent the knife out of his arm," Li began spinning his story.

"I can hear a 'but' coming," Kang nervously replied as Li nodded.

"But whilst the nurse and I were healing, the Police Officer just had to say 'I'll crack a window and get some fresh _air,"_ Li explained, his posture stiffening, his eye twitching as Kang curiously watched him.

Li shook his head, curiously looking around, "Why's Li called me out here?" Li asked in a gruff voice.

"Li?" Kang hesitantly asked, the different Li turning his attention to Kang.

"Oh, hey, kid. Li's not here at the moment, but Kaz is!" Kaz greeted him, mockingly bowing with a smirk.

"Oh... Li was in the middle of a story," Kang replied as he leant back on the bench whilst Kaz put a hand to his chin.

"Oh yeah, that one," Kaz muttered, clearing his throat before looking to Kang, "Well, after that Police Officer mentioned my element, I ended up popping out whilst Li and that... very fine-looking nurse healed that stabbed guy," Kaz began explaining as Kang raised an eyebrow to him.

"What happened next?" Kang curiously asked as Kaz let out a heavy sigh.

"I ended up accidentally putting a big ol' Air bubble in the guy's veins," Kaz nervously lamented, scratching his head as Kang slanted his eyes at him.

"... Go on," Kang muttered as Kaz lightly grimaced.

"Well, from what Li knows of the medical stuff, an air bubble in the bloodstream is fatal... so the guy ended up dying roughly an hour later," Kaz lamented, putting his hands to his hips whilst lightly tapping his foot.

"And then, of course, I got arrested for murder, tried to explain what happened, but of course no one believed me... all except for Zu," Kaz explained, lightly smiling as the memory came in.

A Younger Kaz sat chained to a metal desk within a dimly lit room, the Air-bender lightly humming to himself as a Giant man in metal armour walked in, his beard big, black and fluffy and his head partially shaven. Kaz leapt back as the Giant sat before him, placing his giant hands atop the desk.

"My name is Zu, Sergeant Zu. And from what I've been told you..." Zu greeted him, pulling up a notepad and flicking through it, "Put a bubble in the bloodstream of a man who had been stabbed," Zu read aloud as Kaz let out a dismissive sigh.

"It was an Air Bubble, but hey you won't believe me," Kaz sombrely replied as he hung his head, but Zu raised a curious fluffy eyebrow to him.

"Hey, I'm a lot more open-minded than most people. Try me," Zu encouraged him, interweaving his beefy fingers under his chin as Kaz sat up.

"I'm four people in one body, all four of which are benders, one for each element," Kaz dismissively explained as Zu slowly nodded his head.

"Right, and they're called..." Zu spoke, looking back to his notepad, "Li, Kane and Gai?" Zu asked as he looked to Kaz.

"Yep, Li's a water-" Kaz replied, his eye twitching and posture stiffening as Zu raised a curious eyebrow to him.

"... Where am I?" Kaz nervously asked, looking around the metal room, his eyes almost bulging out of his head.

"I take it you're... Li?" Zu asked as Li looked to him, jumping back and shrieking as his heart raced.

"WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHY AM I-" Li panicked, his heartbeat slowing down as he lightly groaned "... Something bad happened, didn't it?" Li asked, raising a nervous eyebrow.

"Well... your friend, Kaz accidentally killed a man," Zu replied as Li leant back in his seat, grumbling to himself as he did.

"That bloody police officer just had to mention his element, didn't he?" Li groaned as Zu crossed his arms, detecting Li's truthfulness, lightly scoffing as he did.

"Huh, so you really are four people in one," Zu lightly chuckled as Li's head perked up.

"... You believed us?" Li hesitantly asked, crossing his arms as he looked to the Giant.

"I have a trick taught to me by the Chief that helps me detect when someone's lying or not, and buddy I can tell you're being genuine," Zu told him with a smile, metal-bending the chains off of him, Li's eyes quickly darting to the chains then to Zu.

"You're letting me go?" Li nervously asked as his arms trembled, the Giant standing up and smiling.

"Well, technically, you're innocent... Don't know if you'll be able to work at the Southern Spirit anymore, but, hey. Better than rotting in a jail cell," Zu told him as the two walked to the door.

Kaz smiled to himself as Kang lightly smirked, "And then, of course, Katara scolded Li for about thirty minutes, fired him, tried to get him kicked out of the city, ultimately stopped by Zu and the Chief, then I ended up living with Eamon," Kaz briefly explained the remnants of their story.

"That's... quite a tale," Kang replied, a brief silence dawning over them.

"You're an Air-bender right, Kaz?" Kang asked, Kaz's eyebrow quizzical raising in response

"I am... what of it?" Kaz asked, lightly sitting down and getting comfortable.

"Is it true about the Air Nomad... genocide?" Kang nervously asked, a hesitant grimace rippling over his face as Kaz slowly nodded.

"Yeah... genocide isn't really the thing people make up, Kang," the Befuddled Kaz told him, slowly stroking his chin.

"Then that means you and the Avatar are the only two Air-benders in existence?" Kang asked as Kaz shook his head.

"Pretty sure the Avatar's got an Air-bending kid, but aside from him... yeah," Kaz replied, hopping up from his seat, "but I'm not all that bothered, I got the air element and none of the nomadic philosophy to badger me," Kaz nonchalantly added as Kang slowly nodded.

"Do you think you could teach me some moves?" Kang asked as a bemused Kaz turned to him.

"Air-bender moves? Sure, why not. It's not like you're ever going to be an Air-bender, but you can probably implement some Fire-bending into it," Kaz replied, lightly twiddling his fingers as Kang stood up from the bench.

"Hey, I might surprise you and punch out some air!" Kang jested, enthusiastically striking his fist out as Kaz nudged it back down.

"Air-benders don't _punch,_ we slice," Kaz explained, briefly slashing his palm through the air, unleashing a razor arch of wind, "avoid," he said as he gracefully pirouetted through the air, "and push," Kaz finished, landing and striking his palm put, letting loose a gale of air.

Kang stood in awe before the two began walking around the park, coming across the Plaque burnt by Kang.

"Say, Kid. Is there any reason you burnt that part or did you just hit it by mere happenstance?" Kaz curiously asked as he pointed to the burn on the Plaque.

"Happenstance!" Kang sharply replied, his muscles tensing as he turned his gaze from the plaque.

"Huh, in that case," Kaz replied, pulling a small stick from his pocket, "Li, would you mind cleaning this plaque?" Kaz asked, his eye twitching as Li took control, the Water-bender, pulling water out from a bottle attached to his leg.

"Please, don't!" Kang nervously replied as a Bewildered Li turned his gaze to the Young Fire-bender, returning his water whence it came before sceptically looking to the plaque and Kang.

"Another reminder?" Li sombrely asked as Kang nodded, "Speaking of which... besides your eyes, is there anything else that reminds you of her?" Li asked as he approached the shaking Fire-bender.

"... My Fire," Kang hesitantly replied as Li raised a curious eyebrow.

"Your fire?" Li asked, lightly tapping his foot, Kang nervously nodding.

"She had blue fire and well... mine is the same," Kang replied, his hands shaking as a small Azure ember appeared in his hands, his friend staring at in amazed wonder.

"... I have an idea," Li told him, smirking as he pulled out his stick.

"Kane, we're going to need some of your pacifism," Li spoke into the stick, his eye twitching as Kang snuffed out the flame, turning his gaze to Kane.

"Ah! Hello, Kang! It's nice to properly meet you," Kane greeted him, outstretching a hand to the fire-bender, his shaky hand grasping Kane's.

"Kane... you're the one who repaired my clothing, right?" Kang curiously asked as Kane nodded.

"I did! Now, from what I heard whilst you were talking to Li, you need to change the colour of your fire, right?" Kane asked as Kang hesitantly nodded. The two sat down before each other, crossing their legs in a meditative position.

"I know little of Blue Fire. It is a rare, almost mythical change in a person's Fire-bending," Kane explained as Kang silently nodded.

"What I do know, is that we must dampen your inner flame," Kane explained as Kang raised an eyebrow to him.

"Dampen my inner flame?" Kang asked, shuffling in his position as Kane nodded.

"A Fire-bender's inner flame is linked to their strength. Mine, for example, is red and tiny, whereas yours must be a great bi-... You get the point," Kane replied as Kang nodded.

"Now, take a deep breath, and find your inner flame," Kane instructed him, the two taking a deep breath and closing their eyes. A black space filled Kang's vision, an azure fire forming within the darkness, his body flinching as he saw it.

"Relax, Kang. Do you see it?" Kane asked as Kang took a shaky breath.

"I do," Kang muttered as Kane smiled.

"Good, now let it die down. This may be difficult, but let the shame wash over it," Kane replied as Kang took a sharp breath. The painful memories flowing into his mind, his body shaking all over.

"Let it play out, Kang," Kane advised him, Shame and Grief washing over Kang as he trembled, a tear streaking from his closed eye. Kang's eyes shot open, the Young Fire-bender shaking all over as Kane quickly rushed over to him.

"Are you alright?" Kane asked as Kang rolled onto his stomach, his body trembling as he stood up.

"Can I just go one day without being reminded!?" Kang shouted, his fists clenching, his teeth gritting.

"I'm sorry, Kang. It was the only way I could think to dampen your fire," Kane nervously replied, passively raising his hands to the Young Fire-bender.

"Surely there must have been a better way! Or does this life just love to torture me for what I've done!?" Kang snarled as he looked at Kane, his body quaking as he held his head, shaking back and forth before raising his fist, slamming it down with a mighty roar and unleashing a gigantic pillar of Crimson Flames, both Kane and Kang looking at it in surprise before turning their attention to each other.

"Not one word," Kang sharply told him, pointing a finger to Kane as he pulled his finger across his mouth, pretending to zip it shut.

Kang sauntered off into the park as Kane pulled out the stick, quickly whispering into it as his eye twitched.

The changed Kane quickly caught up to Kang, confidently strolling next to him.

"So, where to now, bud? This is Li, by the way," Li greeted him as he put an arm on the young Fire-bender's shoulders.

But Kang remained quiet as they marched passed a large stone circular structure with a Triangular piece stood in its centre, The Young Fire-bender's attention swiftly darting to it.

"What's this thing?" Kang asked, putting his hands on the cold stone as Li approached.

"Oh, this? It's a Sundial. It tells you what time it is depending on the position of the Sun," Li explained as he leant in and observed the shadow of the triangle, "And it is one in the afternoon," Li added as he crossed his arms and straightened his posture.

"There must be a better way to tell the time than using the sun," Kang replied, gesturing to the Sky as Li shrugged.

"Well, if you think of one. Let me know," Li sarcastically replied as the two waltzed away.

Kang and Li arrived at a Tea house of Republic City, Maroon wood made up most of the interior whilst crimson carpets covered the floors and dimly lit candles hung on the walls, illuminating the Tea House.

"Ah, the Saucy Dragon... odd choice," Li replied, quizzically looking to Kang as they walked in, but as they did Li recognised a short-haired amber-eyed man dressed in a vest and long pants with a metal arm taking place of his right forearm.

"Oh, hey Azem, was it?" Li greeted the short-haired man, his attention turning as he looked to Li.

"Oh, Li! Or are you another one today?" Azem asked as Li lightly scoffed.

"All Li," He replied as Azem pulled out a chair for both Li and Kang.

"I take it this is the infamous Yakone beater?" Azem asked, gesturing to Kang as the Young Fire-bender nervously winced.

"You... know about that?" Kang hesitantly asked as Li raised a curious eyebrow.

"Most of the Undercity does, word spreads quickly no matter who it starts with," Azem replied, sipping his tea whilst Kang quizzically looked to Li.

"The 'Undercity' is what some people call the criminal realm of Republic City," Li briefly explained as Kang nodded, curiously observing the metal arm laid along the table.

"Why is your arm... metal?" Kang asked, tempted to knock on it but resisting the urge.

"Oh, this? Lost my arm in a factory accident, but this man here healed me back to full health," Azem heartily replied as Li smirked.

"Couldn't save his severed arm though... that was beyond repair," Li lamented as Azem nodded.

"Yeah... got this nifty metal arm though, the only downside is I can't Fire-bend with it," Azem replied, grimacing at the metal arm.

"How come?" Kang asked as he interwove his fingers under his chin.

"Well, we need Chi Paths to bend, and with his arm severed, his Chi paths don't flow into the metal arm," Li explained as Azem affirmatively nodded.

"What if someone could create... Artificial Chi paths?" Kang curiously asked as both Li and Azem chuckled.

"You'd have to be a mad genius to work that one out," Azem replied, the three chatting and drinking tea for the rest of the afternoon.

The Half Moon hung in the sky whilst Zu marched in through the Tavern, throwing the doors open and taking in the scent of wine and ale. The Giant strode in, looking around at the Patrons before marching over to his usual spot, his fluffy eyebrows curiously raising as he continued looking around.

"Hey, Barkeep. Where's the Chief?" Zu asked, shrugging as the Barkeep pulled out the Giant Barstool.

"She hasn't arrived yet, are you sure she knows to be here?" The Barkeep asked as Zu nodded.

"Yeah, we always meet up here after work. Unless something comes up," Zu explained, the doors swinging open behind him.

"Settle down, Worry-Worth, I went to visit Kuvira before coming," Toph told him as she strode in, taking her seat, shortly followed by Zu.

"Hey, I know you can kick the ass of anyone who crosses you, but that doesn't mean I won't worry," Zu jested as Toph scoffed.

"Thanks, you Big Softy," Toph replied, lightly punching his arm as the Barkeep served them two tankards of ale.

"So, how is Kuvira?" Zu asked as he chugged the ale before him.

"She's going to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow," Toph replied, swirling her drink before drinking it.

"Those Water healers work quickly," Zu muttered as Toph nodded, "Speaking of which... what did you want to talk to Kuvira about?" Zu asked as he sipped his drink.

"I planned on promoting her to head of the Zaofu Metal Academy," Toph replied, lightly sipping her drink as Zu smiled and nodded.

"She definitely deserves it after all these years," Zu happily replied as the Barkeep delivered a bowl of wine to the two.

"Yeah, although ideally, I want to bring down Yakone before she leaves," Toph dauntingly replied as she sipped her wine, Zu scowling at the thought of him.

"Yeah," Zu dismissively replied, looking into his bowl as he let out a heavy sigh. The Chief and Giant drank into the night, chatting together as the other patrons slowly flowed out.

  
  
  



	6. Birth of the Mad Inventor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Li indirectly set a challenge set before the Young Fire-bender, one which he planned to see through.

Kang sauntered through the Sunny streets of Republic City, the chatter of citizens filling the air as he searched the area, and as he did, a large dark oak wagon caught the Young Fire-bender's attention.

"'Bodahn the Realm Hopping Trader'," Kang muttered the name on the sign of the oak wagon as he approached, a tall stout man adorned in a dapper white suit, white top hat and a giant curly moustache adorning his face.

"'Ello lad!" The dapper man greeted him, his musical accent throwing Kang off as he saw him appear.

"I'm guessing you're Bodahn?" Kang cautiously asked as he gazed at him.

"Correct my good sir! I am Trader known throughout all the Realms, and I am here today to sell my wondrous assortment of trinkets!" Bodahn explained, gleefully gesturing to his collection.

"Will I need something to trade then or?" Kang curiously asked, crossing his arms as Bodahn looked down at him.

"Ten gold pieces for anything that takes your fancy... but you're only allowed to buy one!" Bodahn explained, raising his index finger to Kang, the Young Fire-bender leaning away from it slightly.

"Alright... show we what you've got!" Kang happily demanded as Bodahn sauntered back, pulling out a creepy, demonic-looking mask from a chest.

"I got this Mask from a man of few words, traded him a sixty-seven apples for it," Bodahn explained, gazing at the mask as Kang raised an eyebrow to it.

"Does it do anything?" Kang asked as Bodahn lightly chuckled.

"Aside from occasionally keeping me up at night with sweet whispers of Envied might and Immortality, I'm not sure," Bodahn nonchalantly replied, slinging the mask back into the chest.

The Trader rummaged through his chest once more, pulling out a dark red severed arm with a dim blue light pulsing around it, making the Young Fire-bender grimace.

"A severed arm!?" Kang exclaimed as Bodahn nodded.

"The man who I nick- I mean traded me this says it's supposed to turn into a fancy sword... don't know how though," Bodahn dismissively replied, laying the arm down on a wooden side before striding over to two display busts, each adorned with a necklace.

"This is a Full Moon Pendant!" Bodahn proclaimed, pulling the Pendant from the bust and presenting it to Kang.

"So what does that do?" Kang asked as he pointed to the Pendant.

"It is said to imbue the wearer the Power of a hundred Full Moons!" Bodahn whimsically explained as Kang gave a disinterested stare.

"I don't think that'd be very beneficial for a Fire-bender," Kang replied as Bodahn nodded, placing the Pendant back on the bust before pulling off the necklace from the second bust.

"Perhaps The Sun Fire Locket would be more to your liking," Bodahn proudly presented the Locket to Kang, "This little beauty empowers the wearer with the might of a hundred suns!" Bodahn added, the Young Fire-bender's curiosity growing.

"Can I try it out?" Kang curiously asked as the Trader passed the Locket to him.

Kang adorned himself with the locket, a foreign power surging through his body, his arms quaking as he looked out to the horizon. Kang punched his fist out, unleashing a mighty white-fiery blaze, shrieking and jumping back as Bodahn's head jerked back.

"Blimey," Bodahn exclaimed as Kang took the locket off.

"You know, I think I'll stick with the power of _one_ Sun," Kang hesitantly replied as Bodahn agreeably nodded.

"The last of my items for today is this!" Bodahn told him, pulling out a leather pouch with mystical embroidery around it, and a golden broach at its centre

"The Pouch of Infinity!" Bodahn proudly proclaimed as Kang raised a curious eyebrow to it.

"How did it get that name?" Kang quizzically asked as Bodahn chuckled.

"Its interior is, in fact, a pocket dimension! Giving you an infinite space for whatever you need to carry!" Bodahn explained, putting his entire arm into the pouch as Kang's eyes widened.

"Ten gold pieces, right?" Kang sharply asked as he pulled out a sack of gold.

"Correct my good friend!" Bodahn replied as Kang handed him ten shiny gold pieces, the Trader handing him the Pouch of Infinity.

Kang slung the Pouch over his left shoulder, letting it dangle by his right hip, heartily smiling at it.

"Pleasure doing business with you, lad," Bodahn told him with a tip of his hat.

"Thank you," Kang happily replied as he left, sauntering off as Bodahn greeted a new customer.

Kang stood before a Giant building of metal and glass with a wooden sign out front.

"Lin's Ironworks..." Kang muttered to himself, curiously gazing into the store.

" _Well, if you think of one. Let me know,"_ Li's words echoed as Kang entered the store, swinging the door open and waltzing in.

"Hello?" Kang called out, his voice echoing as the sounds of metal clanging and the smell of sweat and fire pervaded his senses.

Footsteps began approaching as a metal sheet bent out of the way. A woman in a white tank top, grey pants and face concealed by a welding mask entered the room.

"Did you call, kid?" The woman asked, her voice muffled by the welding mask.

"Yeah... Do you have any of these things in stock?" Kang asked as he handed the woman a list of items, her gaze scanning through the list, letting out affirmative hums whilst reading.

"I'll go get these for you," The woman replied, sauntering back whence she came.

Kang leant against the front desk, hearing fire roar and metal bang before the woman walked back through, carrying cases of small metal gears, silver plates, screws, hairsprings, wheels, oil and a hammer, resting them down on the front desk.

"You sure you'll be able to carry all this?" The woman asked as Kang nodded, putting the items into his new pouch, The woman's head following his hand as she saw them go into the infinite abyss of the pouch.

"That'll be, uh... seventy-five... gold pieces," The woman informed Kang, the Young Fire-bender handing her a sack of a gold pieces.

"Thank you!" Kang replied as he casually waltzed out of the store, the woman watching him as he left.

"Huh, guess 'the pouch of infinity' was true," the woman scoffed as she sauntered into the back room.

Kang made way back to the Derelict Estate, strutting through the door of the house and hopping up the stairs, whilst Eamon and Li watched him.

"Not even a 'hello'," Eamon muttered as Li lightly scoffed.

Kang sat at a desk within the room provided to him, grasping his pouch and emptying its contents, the small pieces of metal, oil, hammer and a jar of long, thick green vegetables soaking in brine fell onto the table, Kang's eyebrow's quizzically raising to them as he grasped it.

"'Pickles'..." Kang muttered, shrugging and popping the Jar open, pulling one out and tasting it, the Young Fire-bender's eyes pinging open as his taste buds tingled.

"Not bad," Kang spoke aloud, beginning his work on an invention.

Hours of banging, forging and roaring flames went by, Eamon and Li both groaning and plugging their ears as Zu walked in, his fluffy eyebrows slanting as the clanging of metal reverberated around the house.

"Did you two hire a construction team or something?" Zu quizzically asked as he looked to Li and Eamon, both unplugging their ears.

"That would be Kang," Eamon grumbled as Li nodded.

"He's been banging for hours," Li groaned as Zu turned his gaze up the stairs, sprinting up as Eamon and Li grimaced, hoping he wouldn't put a foot through the floorboards.

"Kang, I heard you were banging!" Zu exclaimed as he entered the room, seeing Kang sat at a desk with a hammer and crimson flame in hand.

"Well, yes," Kang sheepishly replied as Zu curiously observed the stuff surrounding Kang.

"What, uh... what are you making there, buddy?" Zu asked as he approached, putting his massive fists to his hips as he observed the gears, a silver metal banana, and an empty gold circular piece of metal.

"Oh, Li gave me the idea to make something that tells the time better, so I'm creating a 'Time Keeper'!" Kang proclaimed as he pointed to the Empty Gold Circular piece, The Giant's eyebrows raising.

"And the, uh... Banana?" Zu asked as he pointed to the Silver object.

"An explosive!" Kang giddily proclaimed as Zu's eyebrows slanted.

"You... built an explosive?" Zu nervously replied as Kang nodded.

"Indeed! Now could you give me a hand putting these gears, springs and wheels in?" Kang asked as Zu flexed his palms.

"Sure thing!" Zu told him, raising his hands to the pieces of metal, slowly levitating them and positioning them over the golden circle.

Kang pointed to where he wanted certain pieces, his Giant friend slowly lowering them in, and as the final piece lowered in, Kang put a golden cover of the gears, sealing and flipping the timekeeper over, pulling a piece out and twisting it around several times before pushing it back in, pressing a button atop it as the Time Keeper pinged open, revealing a ticking twelve-hour clock.

Kang giddily grinned at as Zu crossed his arms, smirking at the Time Keeper and Kang.

"Well, who knew a genius lived up here," Zu jested as he poked Kang's head, the young fire-bender smirking as he pocketed the Time Keeper.

"Now I just need to go to the Sundial in City Park and make it tell the exact time!" Kang proclaimed as he sprinted out the room, The Giant watching him as the two water-benders saw him fly out the door. Zu sauntered down the stairs, both Eamon and Li curiously looking to him.

"Well, Li. The kid's just gone and made a better way for keeping time," Zu explained as Li's eyes widened.

"You know when I said that... I didn't mean it literally," Li muttered as the three stepped out into the afternoon Sun, seeing Kang sprint away towards City Park.

"Actually... now that he'll be away for a while, we need to talk, Zu," Eamon dauntingly replied, Li nodding as Zu quizzically looked to the both of them.

The boys sat down on their respective seats, The Giant curiously looking to his Boys.

"Alright... tell me what you two want to talk about," Zu asked them as Li tapped his foot and Eamon rubbed his hands.

"It's about Kang's mother... we think she might've been... Azula," Eamon told him, Zu's fluffy eyebrows raising as he looked to Li.

"Azula... _the_ Azula? What gives you that idea?" Zu asked as he crossed his arms, leaning back on his leather couch.

"He scorched her name off the plaque, he had a breakdown when her actor appeared in that play," Eamon explained.

"He had Blue Fire!" Li added.

"And you said he collapsed after seeing a caricature of a Fire Lord get shot down, and his eyes... they just seem to pierce into your soul," Eamon told him as Zu scoffed.

"Perhaps... she just had a resemblance to her?" Zu replied, shrugging as the two unconvincing gazed at the Giant.

"Okay, yeah. I've been thinking the same thing," Zu begrudgingly told them as Eamon and Li shook their heads.

"What do we do about him? If he really his the son of a Psycho Princess... is it really safe to keep him here?" Eamon asked as Li sceptically hummed, but Zu shook his head.

"Azula might have been crazy in the stories, but we never knew her. _We_ don't know what she went through. And who knows, perhaps she changed over the years," Zu explained as silence fell on the room.

"He's got a point, Kang certainly comes across as a good kid. A bit traumatised..." Li spoke as Eamon scoffed.

"'A bit' is an understatement," Eamon retorted as Zu nodded.

"We'll treat him the same as we always have, Azula's son or not. The sins of a parent shouldn't be visited upon their children," Zu adamantly told them as Kang walked back through the door.

"That was quick," Li muttered as Kang approached them.

"It's all set!" Kang proclaimed, looking around at The Boys as a daunting silence loomed over them.

"... Is something wrong?" Kang asked as The Boys looked to one another, each begrudgingly sighing.

"Kang, do you mind if we ask you a question? About you-know-who," Zu sombrely asked, Kang's arms dropping, his posture slouching as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Just... one," Kang shakily told them as Zu took a deep breath.

"What was... your mother's name?" Zu asked as Kang took a shaky breath.

"Her... name was Azula," Kang replied, a tear seeping from his eye as Eamon, Li and Zu's heart skipped a beat.

"Well, shoot, we were right," Li muttered as Zu lightly smacked his foot, unleashing a ripple of earth towards Li and striking his rear, the Water-bender groaning as it hit.

"Sorry to bring up the memories, buddy," Zu told him as he stood up, marching over to Kang, "These two dunderheads were too curious," Zu added as he patted Kang's shoulders.

"It's fine..." Kang replied, Zu sensing his lie as he let out a heavy sigh.

"How about this, me and The Boys have something _big_ planned... and I think you and your mad genius mind can give us a hand," Zu happily told him as Kang raised a curious eyebrow.

"What is it?" Kang asked as Zu invited him to sit down on the Leather couch, The Boys sitting around and conversing about their big plan.


	7. The Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The goggles are on, and so is the heist, but nothing ever goes as smoothly as you may hope.

The Boys sat around a table, conversing about their plan whilst the morning sun peaked through their windows, illuminating The Boys whilst the musky scent filled the air.

"So, go over it one more time?" Zu asked, looking to Kang, Li and Eamon.

"We sneak through the tunnel you and Gai carved out, then bust into the Vault at the bank, and sneak out," Li bluntly explained.

"What about the guy at the front desk? He's right outside the room," Eamon interjected whilst The other Boys curiously looked to each other.

"Well... we do it when he's not there," Zu replied as Eamon raised an unconvinced eyebrow.

"Do you know when he won't be there?" Eamon sarcastically asked as Zu raised a finger, taking a deep breath.

"I... do not" Zu sheepishly replied as he lowered his finger, but Kang patted Zu's giant shoulder, catching his attention.

"I have an idea!" Kang proclaimed as he showed him the Timekeeper, "Is there a Skylight or discreet location where we can observe him?" Kang asked as Zu thought to himself.

"Pretty sure there's a Skylight above the front desk... but how are you gonna get up there?" Zu asked as Kang gleefully grinned.

"Kaz can boost us up with his Air-bending!" Kang explained as The Boys sceptically looked to each other.

"You know... Kaz isn't the quietest person going," Zu hesitantly replied as Kang looked to Li.

"I'm sure he can be quiet enough," Kang dismissively replied with a hearty smile, Both Eamon and Zu shrugging as Li nodded.

"Alright, you two, get going!" Zu demanded as Kang and Li sauntered out, venturing into the tunnel carved out within the basement of the house.

Kang and Li made their way through the dark, dirty tunnel, Li quickly pulling the stick out, speaking into it as his eye twitched.

"So, uh... Li wants me to, uh... make a longer tunnel?" The now Nervous Li asked as he turned to Kang.

"Yeah... we need to get to the back of the bank," Kang quizzically explained as the Nervous Li nodded.

"Ah! Uh, Right! I'm, Gai... by the way!" he greeted Kang, swiftly shaking the young Fire-bender's hand before pushing his fists out, crumbling the earth and extending the tunnel.

"Think that's, uh... enough?" Gai asked as he pointed to the tunnel, Kang's eyebrow raising.

"Try... sticking your arm through the ground?" Kang sceptically suggested as Gai nodded, approaching the far end of the tunnel, pushing himself up to the ceiling on an earthen column and sticking his arm through, pretending to look around with his hand before a boot hit his wrist, tripping someone over as Gai quickly pulled his arm back through.

"Ouch! Jeez, you'd think people would watch where they're walking," Gai muttered as he shook his booted wrist. Gai quickly punched the ground up, launching him and Kang to the back of the bank.

"Alright, Kaz, you're up!" Gai spoke into his stick, his eye twitching as Kaz reappeared, immediately gripping his wrist and wincing.

"WHY DOES MY WRIST HURT SO BADLY!?" Kaz exclaimed as he collapsed to the ground, Kang swiftly dropping to his level.

"Keep your voice down!" Kang exclaimed as Kaz pulled his stick out.

"Li! Heal this damn wrist!" Kaz exclaimed as his eye twitched once more, Li appearing as he oohed at the pain.

"I see why Kaz called, I think its fractured," Li hesitantly exclaimed as he pulled water out from a bottle, bending it around his wrist as it emitted a radiant light. The light soon faded as Li flexed his wrist.

"Good as new," Li proudly told him as he pulled the stick out.

"Kaz, wrist is good now, you can come out," Li spoke as his eye twitched once more.

"Well, let's get up there, kid!" Kaz whispered to Kang, crouching down and swaying his arms, quickly spiralling them into the air, a small tornado forming around the two as it shot them into the air, the two shooting high above the roof.

"Ah, shoot. I overdid it," Kaz grumbled, but Kang snatched Kaz's arm, the young Fire-bender slowly ejecting Jets of fire from his feet, safely lowering them down onto the roof.

"Since when have you been able to do that?" Kaz quizzically asked as Kang looked down into the Skylight.

"A while," Kang muttered as Kaz raised a curious eyebrow.

"Then why d'you bring us along?" Kaz asked as he shimmied up next to Kang.

"I enjoy the company," Kang quickly replied, pulling out the Timekeeper as Kaz put a hand to his heart.

"I'm touched," Kaz sarcastically replied as the two observed the man at the front desk, Kang's eyes darting between the man and the time.

The two watched for hours until they finally saw him leave the building, the Young Fire-bender quickly noting the time.

"Eleven in the morning is when he leaves!" Kang quietly exclaimed as Kaz's eyebrows perked up.

"We should wait until he gets back, for all we know he's only gone for a few minutes," Kaz replied as he lay down atop the roof, sunbathing whilst Kang continued watching and waiting.

An Hour passed by until the man returned, Kang's eyes swiftly turning to the Timekeeper.

"He returns at Twelve in the Afternoon!" Kang quietly exclaimed once more as Kaz perked up.

"Well, let's go inform Zu," Kaz replied as the two hopped off the roof, Kaz breaking their fall with a gust of wind before making their way back to the Derelict Estate.

Kang and Kaz barged through the door, the musky scent smacking their senses as Zu and Eamon shot up, ready to fight.

"Oh! It's you two," Zu exclaimed as he breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his fists as Eamon raised a bemused eyebrow.

"Why didn't you return through the tunnel?" Eamon asked as he pointed to the basement.

"Well... didn't want anyone finding out about the tunnel," Kaz nonchalantly replied, slouching in his stance as Kang quickly interjected.

"He left at eleven and returned at twelve, I would assume for a lunch break," Kang told them as Zu and Eamon quizzically looked to each other.

"Just to be sure that wasn't a one-off, I want you two to observe him for the rest of the week. Because when you assume too quickly, buddy," Zu replied, crouching down to Kang's height, "you end up making an ass out of you and me," Zu added with a chuckle as Kang sceptically looked to Kaz and Eamon.

"It's a weird saying, basically if we jump to conclusions you're gonna make yourself and Zu look foolish," Eamon replied as Kang nodded his head.

The Boys plotted into the night until Zu left for his Tavernly visit with the Chief.

Zu strode into the Tavern once more, the alcoholic stench filling the air and the chatter of patrons flooding the atmosphere.

Zu took his giant seat next to Toph, heartily rubbing his hands together, catching the Chief's attention as she raised an eyebrow to him.

"What's got you all giddy?" Toph asked as the Barkeep served them two tankards of ale.

"Ah, Chief. I can't go spoiling the big surprise!" Zu replied, gleefully chugging from his Tankard as Toph tapped her foot on the ground.

"What are you up to, you Big Softy?" Toph asked as she sceptically drank from her Tankard.

"I'm not falling for that one, Chief. We're both Human Lie-Detectors, and I know that if I don't say anything, you can't find out what it is," Zu smugly replied as Toph groaned.

"I sometimes wonder whether I should've kept that little trick to myself," Toph muttered as she nonchalantly sipped her ale.

"You Live and you Learn, Chief," Zu chuckled as the two drank and conversed together into the night.

Kang and Kaz continued to observe the Banker for the rest of the week, finding that he left at around the same time and returned at the same time every day, relaying the information to Zu, preparing for their Heist.

Kang stood before a mirror, trying to psyche himself up for the Heist, but every time he saw his eyes, he flinched away, a ringing piercing his mind, his breathing sharp and laboured as his fingers dug into the table.

"Come on, Kang," He muttered to himself as Zu walked in, curiously staring at the Young Fire-bender.

"You alright, buddy?" Zu worryingly asked as he walked over to Kang, the floorboards creaking underfoot before he stood before the Young Fire-bender.

"I... can't look at myself, I hate looking at myself because..." Kang shakily spoke, his muscles quaking all over.

"It's your eyes, isn't it? They're a permanent reminder," Zu sombrely guessed as Kang nodded his head, his eyes scrunching as he lightly choked.

"Mother She..." Kang muttered, his grip tightening on the table, the wood splintering as he choked on his words, "She always said 'You've got... my eyes'," He added, a tear streaking out from his scrunched eye as Zu took a deep breath.

"I... have something that may help with that," Zu told him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of black goggles with two grey straps.

"What are they?" Kang curiously asked, his eyes darting from the goggles and Zu.

"They're Eamon's old Swimming Goggles," Zu told him, smirking as Kang took hold of them, "Picked him up a new pair the other day from some weird Trader, called them... Pose-I-done's Goggles?" Zu replied, trying to remember the name as Kang gazed into the goggles.

"He, uh... doesn't mind, does he?" Kang asked as he looked to Zu, Eamon's head peeking through the door, his face adorned with blue and gold Goggles.

"I don't," Eamon nonchalantly told him before sauntering off, both Zu and Kang smirking.

Kang put the Goggle to his eyes, Zu holding the Young Fire-bender's hair up for him as Kang attached the straps around the back of his head.

"Feel alright?" Zu asked as Kang looked into the mirror, flinching as he did, but he didn't look away, his eyes now completely concealed from his view.

"Yeah," Kang sombrely spoke, his muscles tingling as Zu let the Young Fire-bender's hair drop.

Kang turned around and hugged Zu, taking aback the Giant as he placed one of his massive hands on the Young Fire-bender's shoulders.

"Thank you, Zu," Kang spoke, his voice muffled by Zu's shirt.

"No problem, buddy," Zu replied, lightly choking, a tear streaking from his eye as he patted Kang's shoulder.

The two made way for the basement, ready to begin the Heist. The Boys stood at the entrance to the tunnel, Zu, Eamon and Li proudly standing with a hesitant Kang, the young Fire-bender quickly inspecting his Timekeeper.

"We have ten minutes to get there and then an hour to get out!" Kang urgently told them as Zu chuckled, patting the Young Fire-bender's back.

"No need to be so stiff, Buddy," Zu nonchalantly told him as he lay on the ground whilst Li pulled out his stick.

"Kaz, you're up," Li spoke into the stick, his eye twitching as Kaz took control. The Air-bender took a deep breath, swishing his arms around his form and lifting the Giant off the floor.

"Before you two ask, the Chief will no doubt sense me in the tunnel, so Kaz is gonna levitate me there," Zu nonchalantly told them as Kaz took a shaky breath.

"Yeah, but let's not mess about too much... Zu's heavy," Kaz mumbled as the Boys entered the dark, dirty tunnel.

"Jeez, why is it so dark down here," Kang muttered.

"Are you forgetting you're a Fire-bender, Kang?" Zu asked.

"Oh, yeah," Kang muttered, conjuring a flame in his hand, revealing the quizzical expressions of Kaz, Zu and Eamon, all judging the Young Fire-bender.

"Well, let's get going!" Kang demanded, The Boys chuckling as Kang led the way with fire in hand.

The Boys ventured through the Tunnel for several minutes, reaching the end as Kaz lay Zu down on the ground.

"Oh, my arms!" Kaz quietly exclaimed as he flopped onto the ground, clasping his arms as Eamon and Kang chuckled.

"You've got a medic in their, Kaz," Eamon jested with his arms crossed.

"Let a man bare his pain in peace, Harmony boy!" Kaz snapped back as Eamon scoffed.

"Harmony boy?" Kang asked as Eamon shook his head.

"Eamon's got a thing for Harmony, thinks everyone should be equal and aspires to be like Avatar Aang," Zu explained as Eamon groaned.

"It is not a 'thing', it's just something I think everyone should strive for," Eamon replied, leaning against the tunnel wall, "You know, happiness, getting along, no pointless fighting," Eamon explained as Kang lightly nodded his head.

"I could get behind that," Kang positively replied as he crossed his arms.

"Everyone getting along is a naïve dream, Eamon. Sure, you could say, aim to bring Harmony to a whole city, but the world? It's an impossible dream," Zu sombrely explained as he stood up.

"The Giant's got a point Eamon, You'd really have to force your Harmony on the World to get it anywhere," Kaz added as Eamon shook his head.

"Alright, that's enough!" Eamon exclaimed, Zu flinching as Kaz leapt up and covered the Water-bender's mouth.

"Kang, what time is it!?" Zu urgently whispered as Kang looked to his Timekeeper.

"It's one minute past eleven!" Kang quietly exclaimed as Zu smirked, looking to the Ceiling and lightly pushing the ground away, revealing a metal panel.

The Giant bent the Metal out of the way, allowing access for The Boys to climb into the Vault.

"Hah! We're in!" Zu quietly exclaimed, looking to the gold which surrounded them before bending the metal panel back up.

"Alright, you guys know the drill, bag two-hundred and fifty pieces each, then we make a break for it!" Zu commanded them, The Boys nodding and pulling out a sack each, gathering the glistening Gold into their sacks and heartily standing proud.

"Went off without a hitch!" Zu told them, pumping his arm as the metal door of the vault creaked open.

"That so, Big Softy?" A voice reverberated around the chamber, The Boys' hair standing on end as they turned to see a smirking Toph adorned in a black cotton short-sleeve button-up shirt, grey baggy pants and Black knee-high boots.

"Ah, Chief! New uniform?" Zu nervously asked as Toph nodded.

"Yep, your new friend, Kang gave me the idea, and after seeing what happened to Kuvira we followed through on his idea," Toph explained as an annoyed Zu turned to Kang.

"Where were you when I was a Sergeant? You could've saved me years of chafing!" Zu sarcastically exclaimed as Toph chuckled.

"Anyway Zu, You know the rules," Toph spoke as she cracked her knuckles, smirking at the Giant as she stood in between the doorway, "I caught you, so that means you're coming with me," Toph added, taking a firm stance as Zu chuckled.

"Ah, but Chief!" Zu spoke aloud, pointing to Toph as The Boys and The Chief raised a quizzical eyebrow, "I prepared for this exact moment! With the Ultimate Technique to take you down!" Zu proudly proclaimed as Toph scoffed.

"What are you gonna do, shut the door in my face?" Toph sarcastically asked.

"Yes! I am!" Zu shouted, flicking his wrist and shutting the door in Toph's face, an awkward silence looming over the room.

"Seriously?" Toph exclaimed, punching the door open, "That's your-" Toph spoke as Zu flicked the door closed again, The Chief promptly kicking it open, "Zu if you do that one mor-" Toph aggrievedly spoke as Zu flicked the door again, "ZU!!" Toph shouted as she pounded the door open, but Zu bent the metal door from its hinges, tightly wrapping it around the enraged Toph, the wrapped-up Chief flopping to the floor.

"Alright, boys! Let's make a break for it!" Zu demanded as he and The Boys sprinted through the door with their sacks of gold in hand.

"Sorry about that, Chief," Zu nonchalantly told her as Toph chuckled.

"Alright, you win this time, you Big Softy," Toph replied from her wrapped up position.

"See you later, Chief!" Zu told her as he swiftly crashed through the doorway.

Kaz, Eamon and Kang ran across the marble flooring towards the glass doors of the bank. Kaz blew the doors open, disorientating the bank guards as he sprinted through, Eamon chucking his sack of gold in the air, leaping and bending up two blobs of water to his hand, striking then freezing the guards before landing and catching his sack with Kang following shortly behind.

Zu sauntered through the bank, the visitors all gasping and screaming at his presence as he made way for the exit, but before he could stride out, Kuvira, adorned in the same uniform as Toph, stood before him.

"Not one more step, Zu!" Kuvira coldly told him as she raised her fists to him.

"Ah, Sergeant! Good to see you're out of the Hospital," Zu greeted her as Kuvira scoffed.

"Thanks for the worry. Your friends might've got away, but you won't be," Kuvira adamantly told him as Zu tutted.

"Ah, you're forgetting one thing Sergeant!" Zu told her as Kuvira raised an eyebrow, looking to the Smug Giant, seeing him sharply gasp and look to the distance, "ARE THOSE SHOES ON SALE!?" Zu pointed and exclaimed.

"WHERE!?" Kuvira exclaimed as she turned to the direction Zu pointed in whilst the Giant casually jogged around her.

"Gotcha," Zu smugly spoke as Kuvira clenched her fist, her muscles tensing, wanting to scream, but a call from Toph cut her train of thought short.

"Kuvira! Give me a hand over here!" Toph shouted as Kuvira turned to Toph, seeing the Chief flopping like a fish through the doorway.

"Oh, I'm coming, Chief!" Kuvira responded, sprinting over and bending the metal door off Toph.

"What should we do about Zu, Chief?" Kuvira worryingly asked as Toph dismissively waved her hand.

"Let him go, he won this time around," Toph nonchalantly replied as she stood up, brushing herself down whilst Kuvira raised a bemused eyebrow.

"But he just robbed a bank!" Kuvira exclaimed as he gestured her arms to the doors.

"Yeah, and I conned a whole Fire Nation city out of enough money to fund an invasion. I'd be a hypocrite to chase after him," Toph told her, the two marching out of the bank together.

The Boys waltzed through the City Park, chatting and chuckling to one another as the Afternoon Sun illuminated their surroundings, but as they did, Kang turned to an unoccupied fountain, silently walking over to it, looking into his reflection, The Boys falling silent as they approached him.

"You alright, Kang?" Eamon asked as he stood to his right, putting a hand to his back as Kaz and Zu stood to his left, The Air-bender placing a hand to the Young Fire-bender's back whilst The Giant put a massive hand on Kang's shoulders.

Kang gazed into the fountain, visions of him and his mother happily standing together flooding the reflection, a single tear streaking out from under his goggles.

The tear fell into the fountain; the ripples washing away the visions as his true reflection returned, revealing Zu, Kaz and Eamon stood by him.

"Thank you... all three of you," Kang muttered, choking on his words as The Boys silently stood with him, consoling the Young Fire-bender before returning home to the Derelict Estate.


	8. Blighted City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terror strikes Republic City, Streets ghostly, and could death lingers around any corner

Zu marched through the Derelict Estate, the afternoon sun illuminating his surroundings as he casually hummed a tune to himself, but the further he waltzed, he noticed a group of Police Officers with their Chief beside them stood over several corpses.

"Chief!" Zu shouted, charging over, his feet lightly embedding into the ground as he stormed over, "What's happened?" Zu asked as he gazed at the corpses.

"From the looks of it, more Cardiac arrests..." Toph uneasily replied, crossing her arms as she turned to Zu.

"This many in one place? Surely it's something else!" Zu argued as Toph shook her head.

"There are no signs of struggle, stab wounds, burns or anything else... unless someone poisoned them," Toph replied, shuddering as one of the Police Officers approached.

"Chief! This scroll was on one of the victims..." The police officer told her, Toph's unimpressed eyebrows raising as Zu swiped the scroll from the Police Officer.

"She can't read, rookie," Zu told her as the Police Officer froze, nervously nodding before returning to the corpses. Zu unravelled the scroll, clearing his throat.

"'Red Man'," The Giant uneasily read, his heart skipping a beat as Toph gazed up at him.

"Any idea who that's from?" Toph urgently asked as Zu scrunched up the scroll.

"Judging by the scrawled handwriting, one of these guys," Zu uncomfortably replied as he pocketed the scroll, turning to Toph with a heavy gaze.

"Chief, if the person I'm thinking of is behind this, I want to help you take him down," Zu adamantly told her, Toph's eyes widening as she smirked at the Giant.

"Are you saying you're going to be a Sergeant again?" Toph sarcastically asked as Zu smirked.

"Do I get one of those fancy new uniforms?" Zu asked as Toph quizzically pinched one of the buttons.

"You'll have to start off as a rookie again," Toph told him with a wry smirk, The Giant scoffing and crossing his arms.

"Guess I'll stick with this old thing," Zu replied, pinching his grey shredded Gi shirt as Toph chuckled.

Zu returned home to inform The Boys about his new job. The Giant strode into the house, seeing Li, Eamon and Kang sat around a table, chattering amongst themselves before turning a silent gaze to Zu.

"What's up?" Li asked as Zu let out a heavy sigh.

"There've been several deaths around here, and possibly more in the city, so I'm going to be helping the Chief get to the bottom of it," Zu informed them, The Boys quizzically looking to one another before returning their gaze to their Giant friend.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eamon nervously asked as he stood up from his wooden rocking chair, the Giant scoffing and patting Eamon's shoulder.

"No need to worry, Eamon. There are few people with the balls to stand up to someone of my size," Zu jested as Eamon nervously smirked, shrugging his neck.

"I know you're the kind of guy people think of when they hear the word 'Earth-Bender', but just be careful," Eamon adamantly told him as Zu slowly nodded.

"I will, Eamon. Same goes for you three, don't go doing anything stupid," Zu told them, Li and Kang scoffing as Eamon smirked.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Eamon replied, retaking his seat as Zu departed back out to Toph, the two venturing into the city to look for clues on the sudden deaths occurring in the city.

The Giant and Chief marched through the city, groups of Police Officers scattered down alleyways, and empty streets, not another soul in sight whilst an uneasy chill loomed in the air. Zu kept his wits about him, passing by Piando's Bakery, the scent of fresh pastries catching Zu's attention as he deeply sniffed three times.

"Chief! I have an idea!" Zu exclaimed as he charged over to the bakery.

"I know those sniffs, Zu!" Toph shouted, charging at the Giant "Now is not the time to be raiding the bakery!" She added as Zu squeezed through the door, scaring the baker as Toph caught up to the Giant.

"Gah! What are you doing, you Giant pastry thief!?" The baker exclaimed as he poised his hands over a rolling pin.

"Hey, I pay!" Zu retorted as the baker scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah. What are you charging in here for, anyway? Usually, you're more casual... or using my back door," The Baker grumbled as Zu cleared his throat.

"Were you here last night?" Zu urgently asked as the baker's heart skipped a beat.

"Uh, no, I wasn't," The baker nervously replied, both Toph and Zu looking to each other with an unimpressed gaze.

"You're lying," The Chief and Giant said in unison, crossing their arms as the Baker grimaced.

"Ah, shoot. I forgot you two can do that," The baker exclaimed, taking a deep breath and rubbing his forehead.

"Alright, but you didn't hear this from me," The baker told them, sharply clearing his throat and taking a shaky breath, "Some weird, creepy guy in a red suit waltzed around the streets like he owned the city, and he was doing some weird hand movements at them, twisting his fingers like keys in a door," the baker explained, taking another shaky breath, "And then he saw me through the window and marched on in, and... Gah! Eye's like Buffalo-Cobras, and a presence so evil you could taste it in the air!" The baker exclaimed, his body shaking all over as Toph and Zu observed him.

"And he said, 'You didn't see a thing tonight' Then passed me a sack of more gold pieces than I see in a month," The baker continued, pulling out the hefty sack of gold as Toph and Zu nervously looked to each other, "But then, of course, you two lie-detectors come along, and I have to spill my guts, meaning if that creepy bastard gets word of what I did, that Proverbs gonna become a reality," The baker finished, smacking a towel over his shoulder.

"Well... thanks, Baker. We'll see you around," Zu told him, casually sauntering to the door and squeezing out, Toph affirmatively nodding her head before following Zu back out into the streets.

"So, does that description he gave sound familiar?" Toph asked as the two marched along towards the Southern Spirit Hospital.

"Too familiar... but how would Yakone do something like that?" Zu asked as Toph lightly shuddered, The Giant's fluffy eyebrows raising as Toph took a deep breath.

"There's this technique that only Katara, Sokka, me, Twinkle Toes and probably Zuko know about," Toph replied, taking a nervous breath, "Blood-Bending," Toph added as Zu slowly nodded his head.

"I've heard about that from Eamon, creepy stuff," Zu replied, shuddering as Toph stopped in her tracks, grasping Zu's black belt and glaring up to him.

"How does he know!?" Toph demanded to know, Zu's heart skipping a beat as he looked down at Toph.

"The Avatar talked about it - in-depth - in the First Edition of his book about your adventures, and Eamon just happens to own one of the few copies in existence," Zu explained, the chief releasing her hold on Zu and ruffling her hair.

"Agh! That idiot!" Toph exclaimed, tapping her foot as she crossed her arms, "No wonder Katara forced the Governors to pull the book from the shelves, and made Twinkle Toes redo the book," Toph muttered as Zu approached her.

"Hey, what are the chances that Yakone actually picked up a copy of the book?" Zu nonchalantly asked as Toph took a deep breath.

"... Unlikely, I doubt that Psycho's one for light reading," Toph replied, the two shaking off the topic and continuing towards the Southern Spirit Hospital.

The Giant and Chief arrived at the Southern Spirit Hospital, Avatar Aang and Katara greeting them at the entrance.

"Toph... What brings you here?" Katara asked, glaring at Zu before turning her attention to the Chief, but Toph turned to Aang, dismissing Katara as Zu and her watched.

"What were you thinking when you put Blood-Bending in your book, Twinkle Toes!?" Toph exclaimed, Katara jumping in and covering Toph's mouth whilst Hospital workers and visitors turned to them.

"No need to worry people, just Policing business," Zu shouted, the people shrugging and dismissing them.

"Do you have to be so loud, Toph!?" Katara quietly exclaimed as The Chief pushed her off.

"I didn't describe the movements or how to perform it, I didn't see the harm in putting it in!" Aang adamantly replied as Toph groaned, rubbing her face as Katara worryingly looked to them.

"Well, because of that, we might just be dealing with one!" Toph replied, Katara's heart skipping a beat.

"What are you talking about?" Aang uneasily asked as Toph shook her head.

"It's unlikely, but your description of Blood-Bending might have led to that Psycho, Yakone to learning it!" Toph explained as Katara and Aang quizzically looked to each other.

"... Who?" Aang and Katara asked as Toph and Zu stared blankly.

"You've seriously never heard of him?" Zu asked, stepping into the conversation as Katara scoffed at him.

"The name doesn't ring any bells for me," Aang replied, his eyes darting to Toph and Zu.

"Well... looks like we need to give The Avatar a history lesson," Zu begrudgingly replied as Toph nodded, the four making way for Katara's office.

Night fell on Republic City, the Gibbous-Moon hanging in the sky. Eamon snoozed with a book on his chest in his rocking chair, the wood creaking as it swayed back and forth whilst Li and Kang lay in silence on their own chairs.

"Hey, Kang," Li whispered as Kang turned his goggles to Li, "You haven't been on a Bakery Raid since you got here, right?" Li asked as Kang shook his head.

"No, but I know the one you're referring to," Kang whispered back as Li smirked.

"Wanna go raid it?" Li giddily asked as Kang pondered.

"Sure! What about Eamon, though?" Kang asked as the two looked to the snoozing Eamon.

"Eh, leave him. He often nods off around this time nowadays," Li whispered as the two stood up, tip-toeing across the floorboards.

"Oh! Before we leave!" Kang quietly exclaimed, running up the stairs whilst Li quizzically watched him, seeing the Young Fire-bender come back down with a Silver Banana, match and note.

"Just in case Eamon needs a weapon," Kang whispered, placing the Silver Banana, match and note on Eamon's lap.

"What good is a Silver Banana gonna be?" Li quizzically whispered as Kang grinned.

"An _Exploding_ Silver Banana," Kang gleefully replied as Li stared blankly.

"You are one mad guy, Kang," Li told him as the two sauntered out, heading to the far side of the Derelict Estate.

The two stood before a hollow lowered path, Li pulling his stick out whilst Kang curiously observed it.

"Gai, we require your Earth-Bending," Li spoke into the stick, his eye twitching as Gai took control, the Earth-Bender nervously looking around.

"If, uh... this is a raid? Where's Zu?" Gai asked as Kang raised an eyebrow.

"Zu's out with the Chief," Kang bluntly replied as Gai nodded, the two waiting as a silence loomed over them until the distant sounds of an earthen cart gliding along the hollow path hit their ears.

Gai took a firm stance, watching the Earthy Cart come closer, quickly punching his fist out and stopping the cart in its tracks.

"Alright, uh... hop on!" Gai instructed Kang as the two leapt into the Earthy Cart, Gai swayed his arm out, launching the cart off into the City.

The two journeyed through the postal system of Republic City, arriving at the back of the bakery. The two stepped off into a dark dingy alleyway, the light of the bakery dimly illuminating their surroundings as they approached. Hearing the Baker, inaudibly grumble to himself as Gai whispered into his stick.

"Alright, Li's back. Are you ready, Kang?" Li asked as Kang nodded.

Li quietly cracked his knuckles, staring at a pipe within the bakery, swishing his hands towards it as a sharp stream of water pierced and shot out through the metal pipe, the angered screams of the baker reverberating as Li chuckled.

"He's gonna turn the water off, meaning we've got at least ten minutes to raid!" Li whispered as Kang nodded, smirking as they heard the Baker storm off.

The Duo entered the Bakery, sticking to the shadows and making their way across the checker pattern tiled floor. Li and Kang entered a hot room, the fiery light of the oven illuminating the room whilst pastries galore along shelves and metal stacks covered most of the walls.

"Jackpot!" Li quietly exclaimed before turning to Kang, "That Pouch can take all this right?" Li asked as Kang giddily nodded.

"Yep!" Kang whispered, pulling the pouch off his shoulders and opening it up, Li swiped and bagged loads of pastries before cramming them into the Abyss of Kang's pouch, clearing out a small chunk of the Baker's stock.

"Alright, let's get going!" Li whispered as Kang checked his Timekeeper.

"We've got at least another eight minutes," Kang replied as Li nodded.

"Yeah, plenty of time to get out of here, usually Eamon and I only have two or three minutes to get out," Li explained, patting Kang's shoulder as the two made their way out of the Bakery and onto the streets of Republic City.

Zu and Toph left the Southern Spirit Hospital, rolling their necks and cracking their knuckles as they waltzed out into the Moonlit streets.

"Wanna go to the Tavern?" Zu bluntly asked as Toph pondered.

"Not a bad idea," Toph nonchalantly replied as the two made their way to the Tavern.

Zu swung the doors open with Toph following in behind him, the alcoholic stench pounding their senses as they entered, seeing small groups of patrons around the tables.

"Seems quiet tonight," Zu spoke aloud as the Barkeep nodded.

"Yeah, with the events of last night, some people are too afraid to leave their homes," The barkeep informed them as Toph and Zu looked to each other with cheeky smirks.

"Say, Barkeep... mind if the Chief and I play that game?" Zu asked as the Barkeep became bogeyed, staring at the two as he stopped cleaning a tankard.

"Are you, uh... sure you can afford it?" The barkeep asked as Zu pulled out a Giant sack of gold, slamming it down on the Bar of the Tavern.

"I'm sure," Zu nonchalantly replied as The Barkeep shrugged, exiting his bar and stepping out onto the main floor of the tavern, standing before a lowered section of the floorboards.

The Barkeep bent over, pulling on a robe and raising a large dark oak table with two oak chairs sat on opposing sides of the table.

"Well, what are you two starting off with?" The Barkeep asked as Zu and Toph took a seat.

"What do you want to start off with, Chief?" Zu asked with a smirk as Toph shrugged.

"You choose, Big Softy," Toph nonchalantly replied as Zu smiled.

"Sky Bison's Belch!" Zu confidently replied as the Barkeep crouched under the table, pulling out a bottle with an amber liquid inside.

The Barkeep poured them a Tankard each and served the beverage to them, the stench smacking Toph's senses as she groaned.

"Gah, that smells worse than Appa!" Toph exclaimed as Zu chuckled.

"Where do you think it gets the name?" Zu jested as the two took their tankards, chugging it in one go, both coughing and lightly gagging as they finished.

"You up for another, Chief?" Zu asked through his disgusted coughing, catching the attention of the other patrons.

"Don't think I'm giving up that easy!" Toph proclaimed, slamming the tankard as the Barkeep topped them back up with the Sky Bison's Belch, the two drinking and repeating their gagged coughs.

"Of all the ones, you had to start off with that one?" Toph asked as she lightly shuddered.

"Hey, had to see how resilient you were!" Zu replied, gesturing out with his tankard as the Barkeep topped them back up, throwing away the bottle before pulling out another.

The Giant and Chief glugged their drink, both keeling over on the table.

"Do you concede, Chief?" Zu asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"As long as it means I don't have to taste that a fourth time... yes," Toph groaned as the Barkeep placed a red card down on Zu's side.

"Round one goes to Zu!" The Barkeep proclaimed, the other Patrons gathering around as the two sat back up.

"Which drink next?" The Barkeep asked as Toph snapped her fingers, pointing to the Barkeep.

"Badger-Mole's Bite!" Toph exclaimed as the Barkeep nodded, crouching down and pulling out a brown ale, pouring two tankards and serving it up to the Chief and Giant.

"Interesting choice, Chief," Zu quizzically told her as the two drank, finishing and wincing as their muscles shuddered.

"I see where it gets the name," Zu grimaced as the drink slithered down his throat like spikes.

"Don't tell me you're quitting already, you Big Softy!" Toph exclaimed, the Patrons oohing as Zu chuckled.

"Not a chance, Chief!" Zu proclaimed as the Barkeep poured them each another tankard, the two chugging the ale, wincing and painfully groaning as they did.

"If I ever wanted to know what swallowing spikes felt like, I think I have a good idea now," Zu groaned as Toph chuckled.

"Perhaps you should've picked something that kills the feeling in your throat first," Toph jested as Zu chuckled through the pain, The Barkeep filling them up once more.

The two drank once more, but Zu spat his back into the tankard as Toph finished hers, proudly ahhing as Zu shook his head.

"Round Two goes to The Chief!" The Barkeep proclaimed, placing a red card on Toph's side as Zu groaned.

"How did you manage to drink that?" Zu asked as a water-bender pulled the spilt ale off his shirt.

"So you can see how – _hic –_ resilient I can be," Toph replied, smirking as Zu chuckled.

"What's the third drink gonna be?" The Barkeep asked, the Patrons murmuring and betting as Zu pondered.

"Unagi's hiss!" Zu proclaimed, snapping his Giant fingers as The Barkeep crouched down once more, pulling out a bottle filled with a bronze coloured liquid and pouring out two tankards.

"You sure you can handle this, Chief?" Zu smugly asked as Toph scoffed.

"Of Course I – _hic –_ can," Toph proclaimed, her face lightly flushed red as the two took a drink, the ale stinging their mouths as they drank, both finishing and slamming their tankards down.

"Feels like my mouth is on fire," Toph exclaimed as she lightly panted.

"That's the 'hiss' part," Zu replied, softly panting as the Barkeep topped them back up, the two glugging their drinks once more, lightly wincing as a tear streaked out from their eyes.

"For something named after a water shooting Fish, this tastes hot," Toph exclaimed as Zu chuckled.

"I know, right?" Zu asked as Toph leant back in her chair, sensing the Barkeep going to top up their tankards, passively raising a hand to him.

"I'm good," Toph softly exclaimed as the Barkeep nodded.

"Round Three goes to Zu!" The Barkeep proclaimed, placing a second red card on Zu's side as Toph sat back up, her red flushed face turning to Zu.

"You make the – _hic –_ Next choice," Toph demanded as Zu chuckled.

"Then let's settle this," Zu replied, turning to the Barkeep with a chuckling stare.

"Pull out... the big one," Zu demanded, the Barkeep looking to Toph then Zu.

"Are you sure you two can handle it?" The Barkeep nervously asked.

"You know it," Zu smugly replied as Toph nodded, the Barkeep shrugging, crouching and pulling out a hot bottle filled with a golden liquid.

"Presenting, the – vulgarly named – Dragon's Piss!" The Barkeep proclaimed.

"Wasn't it you who named it?" Zu asked as the Barkeep took hold of their tankards.

"Precisely why I serve the drinks rather than consume them these days," The barkeep jested, pouring a tankard for the Giant and Chief, placing the metal jugs before the two as the steam wafted up into their faces.

"You can always concede now, Chief," Zu taunted her as Toph scoffed, raising a finger to Zu.

"Not happening, you Big – _hic –_ Softy," Toph proclaimed as the two grasped their tankards, taking in the steam as the two looked each other dead in the eye.

Zu and Toph chugged the ale, the crowd chanting their names as they drank, the two finishing and slamming the tankards down in sync.

"Take that, you big... Softy," Toph proclaimed, passing out onto the table as Zu outstretched his hand, catching her head and lightly lowering her down.

"And with that, Zu wins!" The Barkeep proclaimed a majority of the Patrons wooing for him as Zu crossed his arms, a smile gleaming through his fluffy beard.

"Hey, Barkeep. You wouldn't happen to have any Moon Water Spirit under there, would you?" Zu whispered as the Barkeep nodded, crouching down and pulling out a small bottle filled with a blue liquid.

"For the Chief, I'm assuming?" The Barkeep whispered as Zu nodded, pocketing the bottle before waltzing over and plucking the Drunk Chief up from the table, lightly awakening her as she lay in Zu's giant arm.

"Heh, warm," Toph muttered as she nuzzled into Zu's arm, The Giant lightly blushing as he made his way to the exit.

Zu strolled through the streets with The Drunk Chief, curiously looking around for her house, spying a large manor with a winged boar insignia adorned on it.

"Ah, The Beifong family symbol," Zu spoke aloud, looking down at the Drunk Chief, seeing her poke his pectorals.

"So squishy!" The Drunk Toph chuckled as Zu blushed and looked away, keeping his eye on the Manor as he marched over to it.

Zu stood before the Giant double doors of the manor, pushing on them to find them open.

"Huh," Zu exclaimed as he walked into the illuminated interior, striding across the green carpets, walking passed walls of white whilst looking around for Toph's bedroom, but as he did, he came across a black-haired woman in a white tank top and baggy grey pants, sandals adorning her feet whilst she held a cup of tea in hand.

"Zu?" The woman softly exclaimed, turning her pale green eyes to the Giant.

"Hey, Lin. Just bringing The Chief home," Zu greeted her, showing her the Drunk Toph.

"Jeez, just how Drunk did she get?" Lin asked as he approached, seeing the Drunken Chief poking Zu's chest.

"Drunk enough to indirectly comment on my physique," Zu uncomfortably replied as he looked away, "Where's her room?" Zu asked as Lin turned and waved in her direction.

"Follow me," Lin replied, guiding Zu down the Green Carpeted hallways before arriving at a wooden sliding door.

Lin slid the door open, revealing a dimly moonlit bedroom. Zu squeezed himself through, Lin inching back as she observed the door frame, seeing Zu successfully squish through.

"Maybe we should get bigger doors," Lin muttered.

"I don't live here, there's no need to worry," Zu replied as he waltzed over to a large bed, rolling back the sheets and placing Toph on the bed, taking out the bottle of Moon Water Spirit and placing it on her bedside.

"Goodnight, Chief," Zu told her as Toph lightly chuckled.

"Goodnight, Big Softy," Toph giddily replied as Zu chuckled, squeezing back through the doorway and facing Lin.

"Make sure she has that drink I put down in the morning," Zu informed her as Lin looked to the blue liquid.

"Well, you know what you're doing when it comes to Alcohol, so I will," Lin replied as Zu nodded, sauntering off to the exit with Lin in tow, The Giant quizzically looking to her.

"Any reason you're following me?" Zu curiously asked as Lin scoffed.

"Well, after your little Bank Heist, I want to make sure nothing goes missing," Lin replied as Zu scoffed.

"Hey, I wouldn't steal from the Chief," Zu replied as he marched through the exit, turning to Lin as she leaned against the door.

"I'll take your word for it..." Lin dismissively replied as she lightly pushed the door, "Night, Zu," Lin told him as she shut the door.

"Night, Lin!" Zu replied, marching off into the streets.

Eamon swayed in his rocking chair, opening his eyes to see the moon shining through the windows, lightly groaning as he rubbed his eyes.

"Zu? Kang? Li?" Eamon grumbled as he put his feet on the floor, ceasing the sway as he looked down to the Silver Banana, quizzically picking it up along with Kang's note.

" _Eamon, if you end up in trouble, light the fuse and throw this at it!"_ Eamon read, looking to the match and smirking.

"What could I possibly need this for," Eamon asked as he stood up, picking up the match, staring at it and the Silver Banana.

But as he pondered, the front door slammed open, catching Eamon's attention as a shadowy red-figure strutted through the door, turning its piercing pale blue gaze to Eamon.

"Oh, shit," Eamon muttered as his muscles stiffened.

"Now is that how you greet an old master, Eamon?" The figure asked as Eamon lit the fuse on the Silver Banana, but before he could throw it, the figure outstretched its arm, Eamon's muscles tensing as he held the Silver Banana.

"What the-!?" Eamon exclaimed as the figure turned its gaze to the ever-shortening fuse, its eyes widening as it swayed its rigid fingers along, puppeteering Eamon's arm to sling the Silver Banana out the window, the glass shattering as the Silver Banana land in the centre of the estate, a giant explosion erupting and forming a small crater on the ground, the light of the explosion briefly illuminating the figures wrinkly face as it approached further into the Moonlit room, its Red Dapper Suit its rigid, wrinkly hands and its menacing face becoming distinct to Eamon as a silver chain glistened in the light.

"Yakone! What are you-!?" Eamon exclaimed, observing his body and Yakone as the Devilish man chuckled.

"After my recent acquisition... I had planned to come here and kill Zu and his 'Boys'," Yakone explained, looking around the room with a displeased glare, "But it would appear, you're the only one here," Yakone added, flexing his rigid fingers as a seemingly invisible force pushed down on Eamon, forcing him to his knees, his hips bending forwards as he faced the ground.

"You always looked better as a Slave, Eamon. Don't see why you ever left it," Yakone taunted him, pressing his leather shoe onto Eamon's head and aggressively rubbing it in.

"You're... a blood-bender, but how!? It's not even a Full Moon!" Eamon exclaimed through the ruffling of Yakone's shoe.

"Ooh, you're a smart one aren't you, Eamon?" Yakone sarcastically asked, gripping Eamon's hair and dragging him up from the floor, but Yakone's brief release of Eamon led the Water-bender to pull a Knife on the Devilish man, but Yakone gestured a rigid palm to Eamon's Knife hand, flexing The water-bender's fingers to make him drop the knife.

"I like you, Eamon," Yakone mockingly laughed, forcing out both his rigid hands and slamming Eamon against the wall, pinning the Water-bender with his own blood.

"So I'll tell you how I got this little trick," Yakone told him as he approached with his fingers still poised out, "During my time in the Fire Nation, I discovered an abandoned Inn, and rumour had it that this very Inn housed a Witch, and so like anyone would, I investigated," Yakone began telling this story.

"As I explored the Inn, I found a Silver locked box under the floorboards, so I smashed it open and found the Witch's Blood-bending scrolls!" Yakone explained as Eamon's eyes widened.

"Hama had Blood-bending Scrolls?" Eamon breathlessly asked as Yakone rigidly twisted his wrist, tightening Eamon's chest as the Water-bender groaned.

"You know, it's rude to speak when someone's telling a story," Yakone menacingly told him as he cleared his throat, "So I took those scrolls and learnt the art of Blood-bending," He added, the devilish man chuckling to himself as he brushed back his grey hair, "But I also found out that this Witch had only scraped the surface of the art, and since then I've expanded on it, and made it more than just a Morbid Puppet show!" Yakone proclaimed, swinging his rigid arms and flicking Eamon into the next-door room.

The water-bender slammed into a table, collapsing to the floor as he looked to an open draw, pulling himself over to it.

" _I need to... leave a warning for the guys,"_ Eamon thought as he pulled himself to the open draw, snagging a pencil and paper, jotting down on it before pocketing it. Yakone loomed through the doorway, bending Eamon up to face him.

"And as for how I can do it," Yakone told him, pulling on his silver chain and pulling it out from under his shirt, revealing a sapphire pendant with a silver celestial moon in its centre, "Picked this up from a bizarre Trader, and its qualities are wondrous," Yakone menacingly chuckled as Eamon tried to move his arms, but the might of Yakone's influence made it impossible as the Devilish Man flung the water-bender into a wall.

Eamon slammed into the wall, quickly getting back up, trying to charge Yakone, but the Devilish man took hold once more.

"Once I'm done with you, Zu and the two others, I'll topple this pathetic city, and rise up as its King! Not even the Avatar will stop me!" Yakone proudly proclaimed as Eamon tried breaking the Devilish man's hold, but he couldn't, his muscles stiffening as he glared at Yakone.

"And I bet the thought just makes your blood boil!" Yakone maliciously proclaimed, fiercely twisting his wrist as Eamon agonisingly screamed, his skin turning red, a warm tear streaking out from his eye whilst Yakone's evil grin crawled over his face.

Kang and Li waltzed through the Moonlit streets of Republic City, dining on their fruitful raid whilst chattering and chuckling to each other.

"There was also this time whe-," Li spoke, his eyes spacing out as his lips puckered into the air, "TOOOOOOORURURURURURU," Li loudly imitated a phone, Kang jerking back as he looked Li up and down.

"Huh, that's new..." Li muttered, rummaging around for his stick, "TOOOOORURURURURURU," Li repeated before pulling his stick out whilst Kang raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Hello?" Li spoke into the stick, his eyebrow raising as he lightly swayed back and forth.

"Slow down, Kane, what are you talking about? And how did you manage to do this?" Li spoke into the stick once more, his eyes widening, his heart skipping a beat.

"Old guy in a red suit... oh, no," Li muttered, pocketing his stick.

"Kang! Quickly!" Li shouted as he sprinted towards Derelict Estate with Kang in tow.

Yakone threw Eamon into the living room, the water-bender's body quaking all over as he tried to stand back up, but his arms suddenly jerked up his side, his head perking up as he knelt on the ground.

"It's time to end our game, Eamon, It's been a bash," Yakone maliciously told him, his devilish footsteps creeping along the floor as he approached, Eamon's heart racing, his breath ragged as Yakone chuckled, pointing an ear out towards Eamon.

"Take a good long listen Eamon, that pounding heart isn't something you'll be hearing for a while," Yakone told him, kneeling to the Water-bender's level, pointing two of his fingers to Eamon's heart, the pounding pulsing against him.

"You know how people turn keys right or left to lock or unlock doors?" Yakone nonchalantly asked, slowly twisting his fingers clockwise as Eamon choked on his breath, "What do you think happens when you 'lock' a heart?" Yakone coldly asked as he continued twisting.

Eamon tried to scream, but nothing came of it, and as The Devilish man finished rotating his fingers, Eamon's heart stopped, Yakone rolling his fingers as Eamon flopped onto the floor, his corpse hitting the floorboards as his lifeless eyes gazed into the distance. Yakone stood up from the ground, dusting himself off and leaving the house.

Kang and Li came to the house, seeing the door ajar, their hearts skipping a beat. Li rushed in with reckless abandon, shortly followed by Kang.

"Eamon!? EAMON!?" Li shouted, frantically looking around the room before looking over to the corner of the living room, seeing Eamon by Zu's couch.

"EAMON!" Li shouted, charging over and throwing himself down to his level, Kang ran over, looking down at Eamon as Li desperately shook him.

"Come on, buddy, you can't be! You... can't be," Li desperately called out to his friend, but nothing came his way, the cold silence of Eamon broke the hearts of Li and Kang, the Young Fire-bender dropped to his knees as Li buried his face in Eamon's chest, choking on his agony as Kang breathlessly gazed at the two.

Zu strolled through the door, the sobbing of Li hitting his ears as a look of worry overcame his fluffy face.

"Li? What's wrong?" Zu asked as he lightly jogged over, seeing Li holding Eamon in his arms, the Giant's heart skipping a beat as he breathlessly gasped.

Li brought himself off of Eamon, turning his tear drowned eyes to Zu as he held the Lifeless Eamon.

"What... happened!?" Zu asked, his arms shaking as Kang stood up, his lips quivering as he looked to the ground.

"Li and I left for the Bakery a while ago, then Li got a call... said something about an old guy in a red suit, and then..." Kang explained as Zu turned his gaze to the shaky young Fire-bender, "We found him like this," Kang added as Zu's fists clenched, tears streaking out from his eyes as he gazed down at Eamon.

"We're going to make him pay for this," Zu growled, catching the attention of Kang and Li, "I let the death of my family go unpunished... I swear to them I won't allow Eamon's death to be the same," Zu told them, his nose scrunching as he looked down at Eamon. 


	9. To Avenge a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Death of Eamon strikes at the Core of The Boys. But they shall not falter, they will see justice through, no matter the cost.

Zu marched through the Ghostly streets of Republic City, the reddish hue of the morning sun illuminating his surroundings.

The Giant entered City Hall, rows of pews and a stand for the Governors filled the room, and noble ambience permeated the air, and as Zu strode across the red carpet and marble flooring, A Governor sporting a warrior's wolf tail, short beard and pale blue eyes, adorned in Black Southern Water Tribe Style robes with a sword at his hips and boomerang on his back approached Zu.

"Hey, Zu, is there anything I can do for you?" The Governor asked, his cheery exterior leaving the Giant unaffected as he gazed down at him.

"Is the Chief here, Governor Sokka?" Zu sombrely asked, The Governor raising a worried eyebrow as he looked to his right.

"Toph came in a few minutes ago, she's in her office," Sokka informed him, Zu lightly nodded, striding passed the Governor whilst he bewilderingly looked to the Giant.

Zu approached a metal door, swinging open before he had a chance to knock, revealing Toph and Kuvira stood before him.

"Zu? What... brings you here?" Kuvira asked as Zu walked in, dejectedly standing before the two.

"Eamon's... dead," Zu coldly told them, the eyes of the Chief and Sergeant widening as Toph flopped down into her chair, pressing her fingers to her temple as Kuvira crossed her arms, nervously looking to the ground.

"Do you know who did it?" Toph asked as Zu nodded, his eyebrows slanting as he scowled.

"I'll get the Morgue to collect his body... if that's alright with you, Zu," Kuvira replied as Zu sombrely nodded.

"Thanks, Sergeant," Zu told her as he took his leave, exiting Toph's office as she flicked the metal door shut.

"What should we do?" Kuvira asked as Toph let out a heavy sigh.

"I can tell Zu's certain Yakone did the deed... but without hard evidence, he'll worm his way out of it or pin it on one of his lackeys," Toph begrudgingly replied, swaying in her chair as she pondered, "What do you think?" Toph asked as she looked up to Kuvira.

"I think we should help Zu, perhaps he already has evidence against him," Kuvira replied as Toph hummed to herself, standing up from her chair and rolling her neck.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this early of a start, but a friend's in need, and I won't sit on the sidelines," Toph adamantly spoke, marching towards the door with Kuvira in tow.

Zu returned home, seeing a Black Ostrich-Horse-drawn cart outside the house within the Derelict Estate. Four men carried a wooden sarcophagus out from the house, loading it into the cart, Zu's throat quivering as he approached. The Black Cart rolled away as Kang and Li stood by the door, sombrely watching it roll away as Zu stood by the door.

"Courtesy of the Chief?" Li asked as Zu sighed.

"Sergeant, actually," Zu woefully replied as he looked down to the two.

"There's something I think you should see, Zu," Kang nervously spoke as he approached, the Giant's sombre, fluffy eyebrows raising as the Young Fire-bender hand him a scrunched up note.

"The... Morgue? People emptied Eamon's pockets before taking him away, and they found this," Kang explained as Zu carefully unscrunched the note, revealing its contents.

" _Yakone, Blood-bender -E"_ Zu read aloud, his muscles tensing as his eyes widened, "So, The Chief was right..." Zu muttered as the approaching of several footsteps hit their ears.

"Right about what?" A woman asked as Zu turned to face the approaching group, seeing Toph, Katara, Aang, Sokka and Kuvira stood before them.

"Yakone... he really is a Blood-bender," Zu told them, Katara's heart skipping a beat whilst the eyes of the others widened.

"Wait a minute, Blood-bending? The creepy puppet trick that old lady used on us?" Sokka asked as Zu nodded, handing the note to Kuvira as she read the contents to the others.

"That's not possible. Last night wasn't even a Full Moon!" Katara argued, the others looking to each other in disbelieve as Zu approached.

"Full Moon or not, my friend is dead because of him, and by any means necessary, I will see him avenged," Zu lowly spoke to Katara as Aang swiftly interjected.

"I know your rage and pain are unbearable right now, Zu. But revenge won't quell it!" Aang argued as Zu scoffed, "If you let your need for vengeance take control, you'll poison yourself, even if you bring down Yakone," Aang continued as Zu glared down at the Avatar.

"If you expect me to 'Forgive and Forget' Avatar, you've got another thing coming," Zu retorted as Kang and Li approached Zu, firmly standing beside him. Katara glaring at Li and Kang whilst they passively stared at them.

Sokka stood between The Boys and Team Avatar, lightly pushing Aang and Zu back a step.

"We have our differences, that's for sure. But if we don't work together, I doubt we'll be able to bring Yakone down," Sokka told them, looking to Aang, Toph, Kuvira, and Katara before turning his gaze to Zu, Kang and Li, "So let's put them aside and bring justice to the People of this city!" Sokka proclaimed as Zu nodded, patting Sokka on the back.

"No wonder you were their leader during the war," Zu jested as Sokka grinned.

Team Avatar and The Boys stepped inside the house, the musky scent hitting their senses, making Team Avatar grimace and groan as they entered.

"Are we sure there isn't a cleaner place we could do this?" Katara asked as she plugged her nose.

"Suck it up, Sugar Queen," Toph sharply replied as Katara slanted her gaze to the Chief.

"Time is Luxury we can't afford right now," Kuvira adamantly added as the group stood and sat around a table.

"Do any of you know where Yakone's Hideout is?" Kuvira asked, Kang and Zu shaking their heads as Li pondered for a moment, catching the attention of everyone.

"I... don't, but Eamon did," Li replied, Zu's eyes perking open as he raced upstairs, quickly returning and throwing a leather locked book down on the table.

"Eamon kept a Diary since the day I saved him. Perhaps he jotted down the location of the Hideout?" Zu told them as Kuvira metal-bent the lock open, allowing the book to open.

"Who wants to read it?" Kuvira asked as a silence loomed over the group.

"I will," Li replied, carefully picking up the Diary, flicking to the back page whilst everyone except Zu raised a quizzical eyebrow.

 _"Date entry: 135AG. Time Moonrise. The Giant man, Zu I think his name was, gave me this book to write things into, he said it was like a log that I can keep of my days, for memories,"_ Li read as Zu smiled, _"I suppose the first thing to write about would be... how Zu busted up that creepy Red Guy's... 'slave trade'_ _I think he called it,"_ Li continued, Zu, Toph and Kuvira humming as they pondered, _"It's not a time I'll forget, constantly getting moved around the city from the basements of Little Ba Sing Se, to a Red Doored building in the Dragon Flats Borough, even to the Outskirts of the United Republic,"_ Li continued reading, Zu's, Toph's and Kuvira's fingers snapping.

"The Dragon Flats Borough!" The Three exclaimed as everyone raised an eyebrow to them.

"How are you so sure?" Sokka quizzically asked.

"After we broke up his Slave Trading business, we tried tracking him down, but the trail went cold around the Dragon Flats, to think we were so close," Zu explained as he clenched his fists.

"Do you think this 'Red Doored building' is his hideout?" Aang asked as Zu nodded.

"Wouldn't be surprised, Red Suit, Red Door. The bastards got a thing for red," Zu replied as he wriggled his fingers.

"In that case, let's get to planning!" Sokka proclaimed as the Group began their plotting.

Eamon awoke within an empty white space, the sounds of his hands and feet touching the floor he lay on echoing into the abyssal white.

"The Spirit World looks a lot different from what Avatar Aang described," Eamon spoke aloud, his voice echoing as a chill wind brushed passed him, wisps of black looming before him.

"That is because this is _my_ realm," A menacingly soothing voice spoke as a black-hooded figure loomed before Eamon, its abyssal hood peering into his soul.

"What are you..." Eamon muttered as the hooded figure swished its arms to its abdomen.

"I am known by many a name, but you may call me, Death," The figure greeted him, taking aback Eamon as he quivered.

"So... I really did die," Eamon muttered, looking to his hazy reflection in the floor.

"Yes, but lucky for you... I am here to make you a deal," Death told him, as Eamon's eyebrows raised.

"A deal?" Eamon sceptically asked as Death gestured with his hand, raising his palm upward.

"Normally I take the souls of those who have died, plucking their memories before passing them onto a new body, restarting their life," Death explained, forming a celestial light show of the process, "But there are those who's souls I cannot take, for they are tethered to the world by a quest they have yet to complete," Death told him as he weaved a vision of a tree surrounded by Sapphire Lilies.

"... Kang's mother?" Eamon exclaimed as he watched the vision.

"Precisely," Death sharply replied, snuffing away the vision as it approached Eamon, "You died before you could realise the destiny set before you, a destiny that if not fulfilled could rupture the events of the future," Death explained as Eamon lightly tapped his foot.

"And what would that be?" Eamon asked as Death hovered behind him, clasping the Water-bender's shoulders.

"Your love for Harmony is more than just a passion, it is a destiny, and I know of a place that will help you fulfil your quest," Death explained as Eamon perked up.

"What place are you talking about?" Eamon nervously asked as Death swished out before him, showing the Water-bender visions of a massive nation split down the middle.

"The Shadow Kingdom of Aaravosia," Death informed him, gesturing to the Dark, shady side of the nation, the vision expanding around the two, transporting them across the skies of the Shadow Kingdom, spires of black pierced into the clouds above, towns and cities of grey and shadow scattered beneath their feet.

"If you are to succeed in your quest for Harmony, you must learn the art of Shadow-Bending," Death explained as Eamon lightly quaked.

"Shadow-Bending... that doesn't sound like a good thing," Eamon hesitantly replied as Death shook its hood.

"No bending style is inherently good or evil, merely people who use their elemental abilities for a purpose," Death explained as they returned to the White abyss, "But know this, if you are to pursue Shadow-Bending, you must forsake your friends, and begin a new life," Death replied, taking aback Eamon as he turned his head from him.

"But they could help me! Surely they would!" Eamon argued as Death showed him a vision.

 _"Everyone getting along is a naïve dream, Eamon. Sure, you could say, aim to bring Harmony to a whole city, but the world? It's an impossible dream,"_ Zu sombrely explained as he stood up.

 _"The Giant's got a point Eamon, You'd really have to force your Harmony on the World to get it anywhere,"_ Kaz added, the vision fading from view as Eamon hung his head.

"What about Kang? He said he'd be behind me on it!" Eamon argued again as Death silently hovered before him.

"The Destiny of Kang is one I cannot interfere with. Your quest is one you must partake in alone," Death sombrely replied, Eamon let out a heavy sigh, looking to death as he outstretched his hand.

"Then I guess we have a deal," Eamon sombrely replied as Death grasped his hand, a dim black light radiating from their palms.

"Your body rests within the morgue, we shall wait for a new arrival, and when that time comes, swap places, and slip away," Death explained as Eamon nodded, sitting on the floor as the weight of his actions bared down upon him.


	10. The Crimson Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Boys Enter the Court of Crimson, to face the devil which lingers within.

Team Avatar and The Boys strode through the city, the Afternoon sun illuminating the buildings and walkways surrounding them.

"Are we sure attacking in the middle of the day is a good idea?" Sokka asked as he looked to Toph, who led the group.

"Day or Night. Yakone won't run," Zu sharply replied as he strode beside Toph, Sokka nodding as the group made it to the entrance to the Dragon Flats borough.

"We're all aware of the plan right?" Zu asked as he turned to everyone.

"We wait outside whilst you, Kang, and Li infiltrate the hideout," Aang quickly deduced as Zu nodded.

"And remember, bang four times if he makes a run for it," Toph added, pointing to Zu as the Giant nodded.

"Let's go then," Zu bluntly replied, the group making their way into the Dragon Flats borough.

They strode passed buildings in moderate disrepair, and people leant against walls and poles, sceptically looking to the group, some disappearing from view as they marched in deeper. The group arrived before the Red Doored building, the ominous Aura of the building looming over them.

"It's time, Let's go, Boys," Zu demanded as he went to push the door open, but Kang interjected.

"Are you sure going through the front door is a good idea?" Kang nervously asked, The Giant smirking and scoffing.

"Hey, I'm not about to try squeezing through those vents," Zu jested as Kang and Li smirked, standing behind Zu as he pried the door from its hinges, slamming the red door down to his side, charging in with Kang and Li in tow.

"YAKONE! I'M COMING FOR YOU! YOU BADGERMOLE HUMPING BASTARD!" Zu shouted at the top of his lungs whilst Team Avatar looked on in bewilderment.

"So much for the element of surprise," Kuvira muttered as Toph smirked.

"Well, let's find every exit we can, who knows how many he's got," Sokka commanded as Team Avatar split up around the building.

The rumblings of Zu surged across the building whilst Yakone sat in a small, dimly lit dining room with two henchmen by his side, each worryingly gazing at the doors.

"Uh, boss... are you sure you don't wanna leave?" A henchman asked as Yakone scoffed.

"I've got just the thing to deal with Zu," Yakone coldly replied as he watched the door, dust slowly falling from the ceiling as the foundations quaked.

Zu, Kang and Li smashed into the Hideout with Reckless abandon, entering a restaurant-style room filled with multiple lackeys of Yakone.

The lackeys wasted no time swarming The Boys, but with a mighty slam of Zu's foot, the foundations of the building shattered through the floorboards, throwing the lackeys off their balance as Kang and Li leapt in, the young Fire-bender unleashing a pirouette of flame, scorching several henchmen whilst Li water whipped them away and froze them to a wall, Zu, on the other hand, charged through the crowd before him like an unstoppable bull, cleaving and crushing Yakone's henchmen as he travelled deeper into the Hideout, leaving Kang and Li behind.

"We better catch up to him," Kang told him as he and Li swiftly chased after Zu.

The Giant strode down a hallway, two henchmen charging at him with swords in hand, but Zu slammed his foot on the ground, rupturing the ground beneath them before shifting the earth into him, dragging the off-balance henchmen towards him as he swiped his massive biceps into their heads, knocking them unconscious as they spiralled around in the air.

The Giant continued his charge, smash through doorways and walls whilst Kang and Li saw him charge off, his reckless pursuit shattering the building as several wooden beams collapsed before the two, blocking their way.

"Oh, great..." Li exclaimed as Kang observed the wooden beams, measuring the gaps between them before squeezing through and onto the other side.

"Never despair so quickly, Li!" Kang encouraged him as Li knelt towards the gap Kang squeezed through, shuffling through himself and popping out of the other side.

"Alright, let's catch up to Zu," Li sharply told him as the two charged after him.

Zu smashed through a door, revealing a small dining room. A small round table sat on the opposite side. Two henchmen stood by it whilst Yakone sat behind it, his leg perched atop his other, his fingers interwoven under his chin as he maliciously smiled at Zu.

"Finally found you," Zu breathlessly growled as he approached, the henchmen readying their weapons as Zu flicked his wrists out, shooting up two earthen columns and striking both the henchmen in their heads as he approached.

"Oh, you look a little tired there, Zu," Yakone taunted him as the Giant loomed over him, the devilish man's rigid fingers raising, "Perhaps you should sit down!" Yakone proclaimed, a seemingly invisible force pulling Zu down to the ground, but the Giant resisted its pull, forcing himself back up.

"I'll sit down when I know you're dead!" Zu snarled as Yakone grimaced, striking out his rigid fingers as Zu slumped down, resisting the force the Devilish Man exerted. Kang and Li saw Zu slumped within the room, ducking at the sides of the doorway as they looked to each other.

"Wait here!" Li commanded as he pulled out his stick, whispering into it before his eye twitched, "I got this," Li replied in a gruff voice, swishing the air around his body and forming an air-ball beneath him.

Kaz shot along the ground, floating up Zu and leaping from him, swishing his leg out towards Yakone, but the Devilish Man took hold of the Air-bender's leg, puppeteering him across the room, slamming him into the wall.

But with Yakone's brief release, Zu struck the ground, launching a monolithic spike up toward Yakone, but the Devilish Man just barely avoided his attack, taking control of the Giant once more, pinning him with his blood before picking up an Iron cleaver as he chuckled.

"This is a moment I've longed for!" Yakone chuckled as he loomed over Zu, the cleaver poised towards his neck.

"Hello There," A voice reverberated around the room, breaking Yakone's attention from Zu as they both looked towards the doorway, seeing Kang casually leant against the doorway.

"Oh, it's you... I'll deal with you in a minute," Yakone nonchalantly replied, preparing his cleaver as Kang loudly scoffed, the Devilish Man's eye twitching.

"No, you won't," Kang menacingly replied as he strode in, loosening his arms as Yakone looked up, raising an eyebrow to the Young Fire-bender, "You're a pretty old guy Yakone, late fifties, probably pushing sixty right?" Kang smugly asked as Yakone and Zu bewilderingly looked to each other.

"Kang, stop messing around!" Zu shouted as he lunged out towards Yakone, but the Devilish man pinned him back down.

"Oh, don't worry Zu, I just have one question for him," Kang replied, cracking his knuckles, his arms swaying out to his sides, "How fast are those reflexes?" Kang asked as his arms continued swaying around, sparks fluttering along his fingertips.

"My reflexes?" Yakone perplexingly asked as his eyebrows raised, but before the Devilish Man could react, Kang swiftly swung his arms around, electricity crackling along his fingers as he shot his arms out, unleashing a bolt of lightning towards Yakone.

The Devilish Man's eyes widened, trying to block the attack with his cleaver, but the electricity surged along the iron of the cleaver and up Yakone's arms, the lightning cascading onto the silver chain.

The force of the lightning blasted Yakone back into his dining table, barely clinging to life as Kang proudly smirked, Zu shooting up off the ground, turning to Kang.

"Since when have you been able to do that!?" Zu asked as he gestured to Yakone.

"I wasn't able to do it for a while, but with you, Li and Eamon being by my side... I didn't have to bear the turmoil alone," Kang replied as Zu lightly chocked, the Giant smiling at the Young Fire-bender. But the sound of Yakone standing back up tarnished their moment.

"You little... You _little..._!" Yakone breathlessly exclaimed as he stood back up, his blazer arm burnt to shreds and his flesh scarred.

The Devilish man clutched his chest, the scolded silver chain dangling in his hands.

Kang leapt in, forming a Fireball on his fists, but Yakone swayed his rigid fingers to the young Fire-bender's fist, throwing him aside as the Devilish man fled for a side door.

Zu lunged forward, but Yakone took control of his arms, forcing Zu to bring part of the building down behind Yakone.

"Damn it, he's getting away!" Zu exclaimed, loudly slamming on the ground four times. Toph picked up on Zu's slamming, her eyes widening as she did.

"He's on the run!" Toph shouted, alerting the rest of Team Avatar, readying them whilst she and Kuvira stood by their exit at the ready.

Kang walked over to Kaz, lightly tapping his cheeks and awaking the Air-bender.

"Why did I fly into a wall?" Kaz groggily asked.

"Blood-Bending," Kang nonchalantly replied as Zu bent the rubble out of the way.

"Come on, you two!" Zu shouted as he charged through the door. Kang helped Kaz up, letting the Air-bender get his bearings before chasing after Zu.

Yakone limped through the hallway, heavily breathing before looking to his Full Moon Pendant, gazing at the scorched metal with a disgruntled glare.

Yakone made it out onto the streets, coming across Sokka with his sword poised, ready to strike. Yakone flexed out his rigid fingers, but nothing happened, the sword almost cleaving The Devilish Man's arm off as he dodged.

"Damn it! The power's gone!" Yakone exclaimed as he threw the pendant away, quickly bending water out from a nearby plant and freezing Sokka's feet to the ground before limping away.

But Sokka pulled out his boomerang, taking aim before slinging it at Yakone. The Boomerang spiralled through the air, flying low before striking Yakone's leg, shattering the shin as he fell forward, yelling in pain before pushing himself back up.

Zu, Kang and Kaz crashed through the door, finding Sokka frozen whilst Aang dashed around the corner atop a large air-scooter, Kuvira, Toph and Katara following behind.

"Where's Yakone!?" Zu exclaimed whilst Sokka chipped away at the ice.

"He went that way, but Aang's already on him!" Sokka replied as he pointed to the distance.

Aang leapt from his air-scooter, flying over Yakone and landing before him, taking a firm stance before thrusting his fist into the air, trapping the Devilish Man in an earthy prison.

The Avatar swiftly approached Yakone, striking his thumbs to his forehead and heart. The Devilish Man's eyes spaced out as Aang took a deep breath, opening his eyes and mouth, a beam of radiant blue light shooting out from his face whilst a crimson light shot out from Yakone's.

"What's he doing?" Kang asked as Zu tried to charge in.

"Hold it, Zu!" Toph shouted, halting the Giant in his path, "If you stop Aang in the middle of his Energy-Bending, who knows what could happen," Toph told him as Zu let out a heavy sigh, watching from afar.

Yakone's form turned into a crystalline blue as the light erupted into the skies, briefly fading before The Avatar removed his hands from Yakone.

"What...!?" Yakone groggily exclaimed as he turned his hazy gaze to Aang.

"I've taken away your bending, you won't be killing anyone with your blood-bending ever again!" Aang proclaimed. But Zu approached, cracking his knuckles as he looked to Yakone.

"Wonderful work, Avatar. Now to finish the job!" Zu proclaimed, smashing his foot into the ground and pulling up a giant boulder, bending it over the top of Yakone as Aang's eyes widened, the Avatar struck his hands out, taking a firm stance and resisting Zu's might.

"Zu! Stop this, you shouldn't kill him!" Aang told him as Zu scoffed, pushing his hands down as the boulder inched closer to Yakone, the Devilish man's eyes widening as he tried to squeeze himself out of his earthy prison.

"Let me guess, you're going to ramble on about forgiveness, and peace and all that Air Nomad philosophy?" Zu mockingly asked as the two strained against one another.

"He can't hurt anyone anymore, Zu! With his bending gone, he's no longer a threat!" Aang argued as Zu snarled.

"You think without bending that this scum-bag isn't a threat!?" Zu shouted, forcing the boulder down as Yakone quaked in his boots.

"Avatar, please! Release me from these binds, then I can escape!" Yakone pleaded as Aang nodded, releasing one hand from the boulder, but his brief release allowed Zu to force the boulder down further, the earthy demise looming mere inches from Yakone, but Aang put his hand back on the boulder.

"I can't!" Aang exclaimed, turning his attention to Zu as the two strained against each other.

"Zu, just listen to me! If you kill him now, it won't bring you peace, death will never bring peace! Forgive and move on, think of your family, think of Eamon! Would they want you doing this!?" Aang argued, but Zu scowled, shaking his head to the Avatar.

"You don't know any of us Avatar, but you're right... Death won't bring peace," Zu replied, briefly loosening his grip on the boulder as Aang breathed a sigh of relief, "because this isn't just death, THIS IS JUSTICE!" Zu shouted, slamming his fists down, Aang almost buckling under the force whilst the rest of Team Avatar and The Boys watched.

"Toph, you have to help Aang!" Katara exclaimed as Toph sharply turned to her.

"What? Why?" Toph quizzically asked as the other looked to her.

"Aang is right, if I can let the man who killed my mother live, perhaps Zu can do the same," Katara argued as Kaz shook his head.

"It's not that simple, Katara. Yakone's taken a lot more than just a mother, if anything... I think you should help Zu, Chief," Kaz sombrely spoke as Toph lightly tapped her foot.

"Sokka? Kuvira?" Toph spoke aloud, Sokka and Kuvira sceptically looking to each other.

"I'm not sure, Toph... Normally I'd be on Aang's side, but Yakone's slipped out of the clutches of the law more times than I can count, maybe killing him is the better path," Sokka sombrely replied as he watched the two.

"I agree with the Governor, Chief, and even without Blood-bending, Yakone still poses a threat to the stability of the city," Kuvira replied as Toph turned her attention to Kang.

"Hey, kid?" Toph spoke aloud, catching Kang's attention as he turned to her, "What do you think we should do?" Toph asked as Kang let out a heavy sigh.

"Zu... despises Yakone, and if... killing someone you love," Kang spoke, clenching his fists, choking on his words as he took a shaky breath, "If that brings nothing but pain, and grief... perhaps killing someone you hate can relieve you of the pain they've caused," Kang told her, as Toph turned to face the struggling two, marching in towards them, Aang noticing her approach as a gleeful smile came over him.

"Toph! Thank goodness!" Aang exclaimed as Zu turned to the approaching Toph, seeing her stand beside him.

"Chief?" Zu shakily asked as Toph raised her hands to the boulder.

"Sorry, Twinkle Toes," Toph sombrely spoke, forcing the boulder down with Zu, the earthy demise just barely touching Yakone as he desperately flailed around.

"Toph... why!?" Aang asked through gritted teeth, as Toph turned her strained gaze to Aang.

  
  


"He's too dangerous to be left alive, Twinkle Toes! I'm sorry, but Zu is right!" Toph shouted as Aang shook his head.

"Fine, then you leave me no choice!" Aang proclaimed, his eyes and tattoos glowing with radiant light as he pushed the boulder up and away from Yakone.

"I was wondering when he'd do that," Zu growled, pulling the boulder back down as he and Toph stood fast against Aang's Avatar State.

Katara breathed a sigh of relief, whilst Sokka, Kang, Kaz and Kuvira watched on, but Kuvira clenched her fists, sprinting in towards the straining three.

Kuvira leapt to Zu's side, kicking up a boulder and launching it at Aang, crippling the Avatar's side as he doubled over. Kuvira quickly swiped out two pieces of metal, locking Aang's wrists in place and pulling him away as Yakone yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You pathetic ingrates! I should've risen to be the king of this city!" Yakone desperately shouted as Zu and Toph scoffed.

"'King'?" Zu asked, the Giant and Chief looking to each other with wry smirks, "Yeah, here's your crown!" The two proclaimed, slamming the boulder down on Yakone, the mighty thud bringing a deafening silence.

"Really? You two just had to get a one-liner in, didn't you?" Kuvira asked as Zu and Toph chuckled.

"You only get to use 'em once," Zu replied as he pointed his index finger up.

Aang stood back up, the glow fading away as he looked to the three, shock washing over him as Katara approached, standing beside Aang, the two disapprovingly glaring at the three.

"I know what you're thinking, Avatar, and yes, I do realise what we've done," Zu told him as Aang shook his head, turning around and walking away with Katara.

"I'll go get the morgue to come and pick up Yakone," Kuvira told them as Zu and Toph lifted the boulder, grimacing as they saw the splattered corpse, "Or... what's left of him," Kuvira uneasily added as she began her trip to the morgue.

"Hey, Sergeant!" Zu shouted as Kuvira turned back to him, "Thanks," Zu added as Kuvira smiled taking her leave to the morgue whilst Sokka, Kaz and Kang approached, seeing the splattered corpse and grimacing at it.

"Would you mind covering that up?" Sokka asked as he looked away from it.

"Oh, sure," Zu replied, bending the earth around the splattered corpse, forming an earthy box around it.

"So... what do we do now?" Kang curiously asked as Zu let out a heavy sigh.

"I won't say no to a tavern visit," Toph nonchalantly replied as Zu uneasily looked to Kang.

"Are we... sure the kids old enough?" Zu whispered as Kang scoffed.

"Zu, I'm twenty years old," Kang replied as Zu and Toph stared at him in disbelieve.

"You're WHAT!?" Zu exclaimed as Kaz quizzically looked to them.

"You... how old did you think he was?" Kaz asked as Zu thought to himself.

"I don't know... a lot younger than twenty!" Zu uncomfortably replied as Kang shook his head.

"Well, if he's twenty, he's old enough!" Sokka told them as he put his hand on Kang's shoulder, "Come on, I can get us a discount with the Barkeep!" Sokka added as they began their journey to the Tavern.

"We already get discounts, Governor," Zu nonchalantly replied.

"I bet it's not bigger than mine," Sokka jokingly told him as the Giant scoffed.

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Zu smugly replied.

"Yeah, it is," Toph nonchalantly added.

"Why do I get the feeling you three aren't talking about discounts here," Kaz hesitantly asked.

"Oh, get your mind out of the mud!" Zu told him, as the group chuckled and walked off into the City.


	11. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised by Death itself, Eamon is returned to the land of the living, with a new goal set in mind.

Yakone appeared within a white abyssal realm, his eyes twitching around as he gawked, the sounds of his feet echoing throughout the realm.

"What is this place?" Yakone asked, turning his vision forward, seeing Eamon and Death stood before him.

"I gotta say, that was a satisfying way to see you go, Yakone," Eamon coldly told him as Death silently approached the Devilish Man.

Yakone gazed into the Abyssal hood of Death, his eyebrows raising as a chill surged down his spine.

"And just who might you be?" Yakone asked as Death raised his wispy black palm into the air.

"My name you need not know, for your existence ends here," Death replied, swiping its wispy hand through Yakone's soul.

The Devilish Man stumbled back, his form turning to black dust until he slowly crumbled into nothingness. Eamon approached Death, his eyes bulging from his form as he watched Yakone fade away.

"I thought you said you took people's soul and gave them a new life?" Eamon quizzically asked.

"I sometimes make exceptions," Death replied, pulling forth a vision of the morgue.

The vision showed a blood dripping wooden casket being rolled in, and a morgue worker dressed in a long white coat and black underclothes, grimacing and groaning at the casket.

"Now is your time, Eamon. Farewell," Death told him, raising its hand to Eamon's form, transforming him into a celestial ball of light.

Death unleashed a breeze from his hood, blowing the soul through into the mortal world.

Eamon awoke inside his casket, taking a loud, long breath as his eyes sprung to life. His muscles twitched, his heart raced, and as his breathing returned to normal, Eamon pushed against the casket lid, finding it unlocked, raising an eyebrow to it.

"Well, I suppose they wouldn't expect anyone to be coming out of these..." Eamon muttered as he threw himself out of the casket, finding himself inside a dimly lit room, white tiles covered the floor whilst teal wallpaper covered the square room. Eamon gazed at the other caskets which surrounded him before turning his attention to the bloodied casket.

Eamon trotted over to the bloodied casket, popping it open to reveal the splattered corpse of Yakone, the pungent smell hitting his senses, making the revived man gag and turn away.

"Now's not the time to mess around," Eamon told himself, taking hold of the casket and hauling it over to his own, flipping the bloodied caskets contents into his, grimacing as he shook out the remnants.

Eamon closed his casket, quizzically looking to the one he used then around the room. The revived man quickly dragged the bloodied casket into the centre of the others, closing it up and leaving it there.

"That should work... people don't usually notice these kinds of things," Eamon muttered to himself as he strode towards the door, his eyes widening as a realisation hit him.

"I'm gonna be noticed if I don't look the part of these morgue workers..." Eamon muttered as he scanned the room, spying a clothes rack on the far side of the room.

Eamon ran over and adorned himself in a white long coat, thinking to himself before ruffling up his hair, his slicked-back hair turning to a more unkempt style. Eamon cautiously walked towards the door, stepping out and lightly closing the door.

"Coast seems clear," Eamon muttered as he looked around at the hallways of white stone and glass walls, the sunlight hitting his eyes.

"What seems clear?" A feminine voice asked. Eamon froze, slowly turning around to see a long brown-haired Morgue worker.

"The coat! I was looking for a clear coat," Eamon lied as the morgue worker raised an unconvinced eyebrow.

"Whatever. Would you mind helping me load one of these caskets into the funeral wagon?" the Morgue worker asked as she pointed to the room Eamon had just snuck out of.

"Oh, sure," Eamon replied, quickly keeling over, dropping to his knees as he gripped his stomach, "Ooh, dear... is there a bathroom nearby?" Eamon asked as the Morgue worker worryingly looked at him.

"Just around that corner!" The morgue worker replied as Eamon nodded, limping around the corner, quickly turning back around, seeing he hadn't been pursued.

"Gullible," Eamon smugly muttered as he stood back up straight, walking normally down the hallways before striding out of the building, whipping off his stolen long coat as he took in the fresh air.

"I never thought I'd miss fresh air!" Eamon proclaimed as he rolled his neck, taking in the rays of the sun whilst passerby's quizzically gazed at him.

Eamon strode out into the streets, proudly walking tall with a grin on his face, but a second realisation hit him.

"If Zu, Kang or Li see me... boy am I going to have a lot of explaining to do," Eamon nervously told himself as he strode out into the city, trying to stick to the shadows as best he could.

Zu, Kang, Li, Toph, Kuvira and Sokka sat at the bar within the tavern, small groups of patrons filling the table whilst the group chatted amongst themselves with the barkeeper occasionally listening in.

"So, Chief. Now that Yakone's finally in the grave, what do we do now?" Zu asked as Toph drank from her tankard.

"Personally, I'd go on vacation. Professionally, I focus on the other woes of the city," Toph nonchalantly replied.

"I say after all this, Vacation sounds good for you," Sokka told her as he sipped from his tankard of cactus juice.

"Well, who's going to be the stand-in chief?" Toph asked as thoughtful humming emitted from the others.

"Kuvira could do it," Kang suggested, Kuvira nudging him as Toph shook her head.

"Already promised she'd go to Zaofu after all this," Toph replied as the rest of them hummed to themselves.

"What about Lin? She'd make a great Chief of Police," Zu suggested as Toph hesitantly chuckled.

"Lin has her Ironworks shop, I don't want to pull her away from that," Toph begrudgingly replied as she drank from her tankard once more.

"It would only be a short-term thing, Chief. You wouldn't be pulling her away permanently," Kuvira told her as Toph quizzically thought to herself.

"I'll ask and see what she says," Toph dismissively replied, raising her tankard to the others, "for now, let's drink!" Toph proclaimed as the others raised their tankards and bowls, drinking and chattering amongst themselves.

Eamon skulked around the city before finding himself before a dark oak cart near the derelict estate, a White dapper clothed man with a white top hat and twirly moustache popping out.

"'Ello, laddy," The man greeted Eamon, the musical accent brushing passed Eamon as he nervously approached.

"Hi, uh..." Eamon replied, looking up at the sign, "Bodahn! You wouldn't happen to have a cloak, would you?" Eamon asked as Bodahn raised an eyebrow, rummaging through his chest and pulling out a black mystical looking cloak.

"The Cloak of Black!" Bodahn proudly presented it to Eamon.

"Your other items had special properties... does this have any?" Eamon quizzically asked as Bodahn shrugged.

"Nope! Just a regular old cloak!" Bodahn replied as he slung the cloak to Eamon, "That'll be five gold pieces," Bodahn told him as Eamon rummaged through his pockets, finding them empty as he awkwardly gawked.

"Would you mind if I, uh... pay later?" Eamon nervously asked as Bodahn shrugged.

"Sure thing! But don't go forgetting about me, or I'll find you!" Bodahn replied as Eamon hesitantly nodded, adorning himself head to knee in the black cloak, concealing his face as he walked towards the Derelict Estate.

"Those goggles Zu bought me may come in handy..." Eamon told himself, deftly striding into the Derelict Estate, making way to the house, sticking the shadows before arriving at the side of the house he used to live in.

"What are the chances they aren't in?" Eamon muttered, shuffling around to the front door and pushing it open, a sudden pinging sound making the revived man leap away as a flurry of knives shot out from the door. Eamon's heart raced as he looked into the house, carefully striding in.

"Must be one of Kang's inventions... could've done with that sooner, buddy," Eamon told himself as he strode in, sensing the absence of The Boys and quickly making his way up the stairs and into his room, the floorboards creaking underfoot as the musky scent wafted through the air.

Eamon took a deep breath, marching in and plucking the blue and gold goggles from his desk, looking into his mirror as a lump grew in his throat, but the revived man looked away, turning to his recently made bed, striding over and picking up his diary and key.

Eamon let out a heavy sigh as he pocketed the goggles and Diary, making his way from the house.

Eamon strode out of the door, but to his surprise, several sleazy bandits stood before him, weapons and bending in hand.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing stealing from Zu?" the Sleazy bandit leader asked as Eamon shook all over.

" _If I speak they'll recognise me... unless,"_ Eamon thought to himself, standing tall as he cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm not stealing, just retaking what is mine," Eamon spoke with a unique voice, his once calm and collected voice now menacing and prideful. The Sleazy Bandits scoffed, raising their weapons to Eamon.

"Get him!" The bandit leader shouted as they charged, but Eamon quickly pulled water from the moisture in the air, freezing their feet to the ground, lunging in and kicking out, knocking a sword out of a bandit's hand, slashing and thrusting into the others, wounding them, but trying to not slay them.

Eamon struck down the final bandit, tossing away the stolen sword before running out from the Derelict Estate, making his way into the city and journeying to the Dragon Flats borough.

Eamon strolled through the dilapidated estate, onlookers quizzically gazing at him as he strolled through with his head down, approaching the ruins of Yakone's hideout.

"He mentioned Blood-bending scrolls... I better get hold of them before anyone else does," Eamon muttered to himself, stepping over the rubble of the entrance and into the building.

Eamon strolled passed fallen wooden beams, collapsed walls and ceilings, exploring the abandoned ruins for Yakone's hideout.

Eamon entered the dining room, gazing at the rubble scattering the ground, letting out a displeased grunt as he looked around.

"I've explored the entire building but still no sign of the scrolls!" Eamon exclaimed, running his hand along the wall, his hand lightly dropping into the wall, the revived man's eyes widening as he looked to the wall, pressing his ears against it and curiously tapping, a hollow sound reverberating behind it.

"Huh... secret room," Eamon quietly exclaimed, running his fingers along the dipped part of the wall before letting out a disgruntled groan, slamming himself into the wall and through into the secret chamber.

Eamon stood up into the dark chamber, a small oak table sitting before him as he shuffled over to it, inspecting the draws, pulling them out one by one before finding a single scroll. Eamon pulled the scroll out, quickly inspecting it to see poses similar to the ones Yakone used against him.

"This is it!" Eamon exclaimed, rolling up the scroll before pocketing it. Eamon ran out of the hideout and into the evening sunlit city.

Zu, Li and Kang left the Tavern, going their separate ways from Toph, Sokka and Kuvira, making their way to the cemetery where they would see Eamon off one last time. The Boys silently strode down the streets, the sun setting on the city as they arrived at the cemetery, rows of stone monoliths aligned along a large open area with a gravel footpath weaving between the rows.

A woman in a black gown adorned in a white-masked approached The Boys, the three quizzically looking to her.

"We're... here for Eamon," Zu sombrely told her, the woman nodding and escorting The Boys over to a freshly buried grave.

"Your friend has been buried here, and we hope his soul rests in peace," The Black gowned woman told them before leaving The Boys by the gravestone.

"I'm surprised they buried him before we got here," Kang muttered as he looked to the engraved monolithic stone.

"It's better we remember Eamon as he was, rather than... what he is now," Zu sombrely replied, a black-robed man striding by the cemetery, his heart skipping a beat as he observed the three.

The Boys silently stood before what they thought to be Eamon's grave. Little did they know their friend stood a mere distance behind them, silently gazing to them as their words fluttered in the revived man's mind.

"I'm sorry, guys," Eamon muttered, pulling his hood further over his head, "Maybe we can reunite one day," Eamon told them as he strode away, his footsteps reverberating around as Kang turned to see the Black-Robed man striding away, raising a sceptical eyebrow to him.

"Hey, Zu," Kang spoke aloud as the Giant turned to him.

"Yeah?" Zu quizzically asked.

"Do we... know that guy over there?" Kang asked as he pointed to the Black-Robed Man, the Giant raising a sceptical fluffy eyebrow to the Young Fire-bender.

"Can't say we do... I've never met anyone who wears a Black robe," Zu dismissively replied as Kang hummed to himself, the two returning their attention to the Grave.

  
  
  



	12. A Shock from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kang stands against Aang after a Bakery raid gone wrong, only for a crackle of Lightning to strike fear into the Avatar's heart.

Kang, Zu and Li surfed along the postal system, the moonlit night sky dimly illuminating the city surroundings whilst the Giant swung his massive arms back and forth, pushing the earthen cart along. The Boys arrived at the back alley of the bakery, the dim light of the Bakery interior shining onto the alley.

"Li! Do the thing!" Zu whispered as Li swished his hands at a pipe within the Bakery, the water piercing and screeching out, but no cries from the baker hit their ears.

"Huh... maybe he's out," Zu whispered as the three sneaked in, sticking to the shadows before making their way into the oven illuminated room, the red light washing over their faces as they gazed at the shelves and metal stacks of pastries.

"Alright! Load them into the pouch and we'll be on our way!" Kang told them as he popped his pouch open, stretching it out whilst Zu and Li gathered the pastries. But as they filled the pouch, the screeching water stopped.

"Huh... that was quick..." Li quietly exclaimed as Zu's eyes widened, sensing the footsteps of two people approaching.

"Hah! Caught you red-handed!" A gruff voice shouted, The Boys turning to see the baker and Avatar Aang standing in the doorway.

"But our hands aren't red!" Kang nonchalantly replied.

"Figure of speech, Kang," Zu whispered as Kang's face lightly scrunched up.

"I've been sick of you lot raiding my bakery! So I got the Avatar here to deal with you, hopefully permanently!" The Baker proclaimed as The Boys winced.

"I don't plan to kill them, Baker," Aang told them as he approached, "I'm not like Zu," the Avatar took a jab at the Giant as he disapprovingly glared.

"Well, you see Avatar, I prepared for this moment!" Zu proclaimed as he raised his finger to Aang.

"What are you planning to do? Slam the door in my face?" Aang curiously asked as Zu smirked.

"No! I am not!" Zu replied, punching his fist up and trapping the Avatar in the earth. The Boys quickly pocketed their bounty, the Giant crashing through the walls of the Bakery.

"MY WALL!!" The Baker shouted as he ruffled his hair, Zu quickly popping back through.

"Apologies!" Zu nonchalantly told him, swiftly raising a piece of earth where they crashed through. The Boys made a run for their home, but Aang had freed himself, chasing The Boys down atop a massive Air scooter.

"Zu! He's catching up!" Kang shouted as they sprinted, the Giant looking behind to see Aang gaining ground on them.

"Any plans in that genius mind of yours?" Zu asked as Kang hummed for a moment.

"Just one!" Kang replied, taking his pouch off from his shoulder, "Li! Take this!" Kang told him as he handed the water-bender the pouch.

Li quizzically grabbed the pouch, slinging it over his shoulder as Kang swiftly turned around, unleashing a roaring stream of fire at Aang, the Avatar falling from his Air scooter, gracefully landing on the ground as he gazed at The Boys.

"You two get going whilst I hold him off!" Kang told them, his fists raised to the Avatar.

"Kang, that's the Avatar you're messing with!" Zu argued as Kang smirked.

"I know," Kang confidently replied as Zu shook his head.

"Well, don't overdo it," Zu told him as Zu and Li made a run for it, leaving Kang behind to face the Avatar.

Kang and Aang stood face-to-face whilst Zu and Li ran off into the distance, the two staring each other down as the nightly wind slowly rushed passed them.

"A selfless act, Kang. But they won't be getting away," Aang taunted him, raising his palms as Kang rolled his neck.

"Let's just see," Kang smugly replied. The Young Fire-bender kicked out a crescent of crimson fire, but Aang swished his palms around his form, bending Kang's fire to his will and snuffing it out.

Aang unleashed out a slash of air, followed by kicking a boulder out towards Kang, but the young Fire-bender leapt over the slash, quickly ducking down, supporting his body with his hands whilst Aang sceptically looked at him.

Kang took advantage of the Avatar's bewilderment, pushing his arms up and bringing his feet forward, unleashing a blazing red fireball from the balls of his feet. Aang quickly raised an earthen wall, blocking the fire as it briefly crumbled.

"Your fighting style seems... familiar," Aang quizzically commented as Kang smirked.

"I learnt from the best," Kang replied, sombrely smirking as Aang hummed to himself. 

Kang launched himself in on jets of Crimson fire, lunging and punching out at Aang, but the Avatar evaded, a great gust of wind following in his wake as Kang swung his leg low, unleashing a wave of flame as Aang leapt into the air, pirouetting through the air and landing gracefully.

"You're nimble for your age," Kang complimented him, hopping on the spot, his blood pumping as he flexed his arms.

"Hey, I'm only a hundred and fifty-two," Aang sarcastically replied, smirking at the young Fire-bender as he raised his palms to him, letting out a deep breath as Kang smirked.

"Let's see you dodge this then!" Kang confidently proclaimed, swishing his arms around his side, electricity crackling along his fingertips as Aang's eyes widened.

"Lightning!?" Aang muttered. 

Kang unleashed a bolt of lightning at Aang, the electricity surging towards the Avatar as he pointed his fingertips to it, catching the lightning in his hand, the energy surging through him, his back muscles tensing as his heart skipped a beat. 

The memory of the Crystal Catacombs pervaded the Avatar's mind, his fall, the lightning striking his back before he unleashed the lightning into the skies, catching the attention of nightly onlookers. The Avatar turned to Kang, his eyes twitching, his teeth nervously gritting.

"Huh, didn't see that one coming," Kang muttered as he slumped over, remaining focused on Aang.

" _That... feeling, the lightning, his fighting style... no..."_ Aang thought to himself, his arms trembling as Kang cautiously stood up straight, raising an eyebrow to the Avatar.

"Are you... alright?" Kang asked, passively raising his palms.

" _He's... her son. He's Azula's son!"_ Aang's thoughts screeched through his mind. 

Kang slowly approached, but Aang struck his palms out, curving his wrists and pulling the air behind Kang, the Young Fire-bender stumbling forward as Aang launched himself forward, striking Kang's jaw with his knee.

Kang fell to the ground, rubbing his jaw as Aang approached, stomping his foot into the ground, launching an earthen prison up beneath Kang, trapping the young Fire-bender as he struggled to break free.

"I cannot allow you to remain in this city," Aang coldly told the Young Fire-bender, approaching him as he flexed his palms, "I'm taking away your bending, you're too much of a danger," Aang proclaimed as Kang gawked, his eyebrows quivering.

Zu and Li made it to the entrance to the Derelict Estate, the Giant looking back to the city as a look of worry washed over him.

"Li, get back to the house! I'm going to help Kang!" Zu told him as Li nodded his head.

"Good luck," Li replied as Zu nodded his head, the two going their separate ways. 

Aang struck out at Kang's forehead and heart, a light radiating from the faces of the two as their bodies slowly turned to a crystalline blue and red. Zu charged back into the city, seeing the shining blue and red light of the two, his heart skipping a beat.

"KANG!" Zu shouted as he launched himself forward on waves of earth.

" _If you stop Aang in the middle of his Energy-Bending, who knows what could happen,"_ Toph's words echoed in the Giant's mind as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, Chief, we're about to find out," Zu muttered, launching from his earthen wave, smashing down before Kang and Aang.

The Giant grasped the Avatar in his meaty hands, breaking the connection as Kang let out a loud gasped. Zu tossed Aang like a rag doll, quickly breaking Kang free of his earthy prison.

"You alright, buddy?" Zu nervously asked as Kang groggily shook his head.

"I think so," Kang replied, his vision spinning as he looked up at his Giant friend.

"Can you still bend?" Zu hesitantly asked as Kang punched out a small puff of fire.

"Yep, seems weaker than usual though," Kang nonchalantly replied as Zu scooped him up, fleeing into a back alley as Aang pushed himself back up, forming an air scooter and blasting off to chase the two.

Zu sensed Aang's approach, his eyes darting to all directions before he let out a disgruntled groan, swishing his palm around and breaking open a hole, diving in with the young Fire-bender before quickly closing it.

"What are we doing?" Kang asked as Zu shushed him. Aang hopped off his air scooter, his breath ragged as he frantically looked around.

"Where are you!?" Aang muttered, several footsteps approaching as the two nervously sat in their hole.

"What the heck is going on Twinkle Toes!?" Toph demanded to know, two police officers standing by her side as Aang twisted around to her.

"Toph! I need your help finding that goggled kid and Zu," Aang replied, his body quaking as he approached the bemused Chief.

"You mean Kang? Why, what did he do?" Toph asked, crossing her arms as Aang took a deep breath, calming himself before looking to the Chief.

"That kid, Kang, he's Azula's son!" Aang told her, the Chief raising an unamused eyebrow to the Avatar.

"Azula? Crazy Fire Nation Princess Azula?" Toph asked as Aang nodded, the underground two trying to listen to their inaudible words.

"Yes! His fighting style is almost exactly like hers, and he shot lightning at me!" Aang explained as Toph slowly nodded her head.

"So just because of that, you think he's the son of the infamous Princess who's been missing for decades?" Toph asked, the Avatar letting out a heavy sigh as he placed a hand to his forehead.

"I know it seems unbelievable, but you have to believe me!" Aang told her as Toph hummed to herself.

"I can tell what you think you're saying is true... but I just can't begin to think that Kang is Azula's son," Toph replied, lightly scoffing to herself as she shook her head, "To start with, who in their right mind would start a family with her?" Toph argued as Aang crossed his arms.

"At least help me find them, then question him yourself!" Aang replied as Toph let out a heavy sigh, firmly planting her foot on the ground, arms clenched to her side as she sensed the vibrations in the ground.

"Oh, don't rat us out, Chief..." Zu muttered. Toph's eyes widened, a smirk breaking over her face as she scoffed.

"I don't know how he's done it, but I can't sense him," Toph lied, Aang's eyes widening as he stumbled over his words.

"You can't find either of them? But Zu's... Ginormous!" Aang replied, his disbelieve washing over him as he quizzically gazed at the Chief.

"I'm telling you, Twinkle Toes. That Big Softy's nowhere around here, and neither's Kang," Toph lied, crossing her arms as Aang let out a heavy sigh, nervously gazing at the ground as he tapped his foot.

"How about this, you cover the east side of the city whilst my men cover the west side, and I'll go check the Derelict Estate," Toph recommended as Aang nodded.

"Good idea," Aang replied, hopping on top of an Air scooter and zooming off into the city whilst Toph turned to the Police Officers behind her.

"He's right there isn't he, Chief?" A Police Officer asked as Toph scoffed.

"You didn't hear it from me!" Toph jested as the Police Officers scoffed and shook their heads, "Now you have your orders, go 'cover the west side of the city'," Toph commanded, winking as the Police Officers nodded, briefly bowing before rushing away.

Toph turned to the hole, swishing her arms around and opening up Zu and Kang's hole, revealing the hidden two.

"Thanks, Chief," Zu told her as he pushed himself and Kang out of the hole, letting the young Fire-bender climb onto the ground.

"Any time, you Big Softy," Toph replied, smirking at the Giant before turning to Kang, "Do you... mind if I ask you a question, Kang?" Toph asked, the Young Fire-bender freezing as he looked to Zu.

"If it's about you-know-who... I wouldn't recommend it, Chief," Zu told her, putting his massive hands to his hips as Toph let out a heavy sigh.

"I know it's a sensitive subject, but I need to know who she was exactly," Toph sombrely replied. Kang stood tall, taking a deep breath as he looked to the Chief.

"You can ask..." Kang told her, Toph took a deep breath, turning to face Kang.

"Your Mother. Was she a Fire Nation Princess by any chance?" Toph asked, Kang's eyebrow quizzically raising, Zu's eyes darting between the Fire-bender and Chief.

"She wasn't a Princess...?" Kang quizzically replied, Toph's eyes widening, as did Zu's. The Chief and Giant curiously looked to each other.

"Seems like he's telling the truth to me," Toph told the Giant as he nodded.

"Yeah..." Zu quizzically replied, "Hey Chief, would you mind sending a message out for me?" Zu asked, Toph nodding as Zu whispered into her ear whilst Kang sceptically looked to the two

"Well, Buddy. Let's get going home," Zu told Kang, patting his back, the Young Fire-bender nodding as he and the Giant made way back to the Derelict Estate whilst Toph made her way back home.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Zu asked as Kang let out a shaky breath.

"When the Avatar used that... what was it called again?" Kang began to explain.

"Energy-bending," Zu replied.

"Yeah, that was it," Kang told him, briefly nodding, "when he used it... it felt like we were connected, like our memories were clashing and flooding into one another," Kang explained his fingers rigid as he let out another shaky breath.

"What did you see?" Zu asked, raising a fluffy eyebrow to the young Fire-bender.

"I saw him falling in a crystalline cave, and someone who looked like... my mother when she was younger... a lot younger," Kang explained, hanging his head as Zu bruefly hummed.

"Let's not dwell on it too much, buddy," Zu told him, patting the young Fire-bender's back, "living in the past is no way to live, I know it'll be hard, but you need to move on," Zu firmly added as Kang looked up to him.

"How do I move on from what happened!? How am I supposed to live my life knowing I took the life of my own mother!?" Kang shouted, a tear rolling down his face as Zu knelt to his level.

"I'll be honest, Kang... I Don't know. But you're always going to have me and Li to help you," Zu reassured him, placing his hands on Kang's shoulders.

"Sorry for... shouting," Kang muttered as Zu lightly scoffed.

"It happens, buddy... now come on, let's go home," Zu replied, standing tall and walking back to the Derelict Estate.

"Yeah... home," Kang mumbled as he followed the Giant back to the Derelict Estate.

Several days passed by, Aang stayed vigilant over the city whilst The Boys hid away in their house, until they heard a knock on their door, the afternoon sun illuminating their surroundings.

Kang disabled the trap, a sharp pinging reverberating around the house as Zu opened the door, seeing a young man wearing a dark green jacket, and a murky gold undershirt adorned with several daggers sheathed in separate pouches across his chest, Navy blue slops covered his legs and a pair of shinobi style shoes covered his feet, his hair short and black, styled into a topknot, and his eyes grey, whilst two sheathed swords with odd runic symbols adorned his back.

"Are you the guy?" Zu asked, his voice daunting as the mystery man scoffed.

"I'm the guy," The man replied. Zu allowed the man to walk into the house, Li and Kang perking up from their seats.

"Kang! Meet your new bodyguard: Sky!" Zu greeted him as Sky waved.

"Kang," Sky said as he looked the Young Fire-bender up and down, "Word has, you went toe-to-toe with an Avatar and almost got Energy-Bent?" Sky asked as Kang nodded.

"Yeah... looking back on it, not my brightest idea," Kang replied, smirking as he hesitantly chuckled.

"Well, no need to fear, I've got the perfect thing to deal with Avatars," Sky proclaimed, unsheathing his swords and revealing the runes adorning them, "Shoot some Fire at them!" Sky demanded as Kang raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Uh... okay?" Kang replied, punching a fireball at Sky. The Mercenary allowed the flames to strike his swords, snuffing them out as the red rune glowed, imbuing the swords with the power of fire.

"Whoa," Li and Kang exclaimed.

"The stories weren't joking," Zu muttered as he looked at the swords.

"Oh yeah," Sky replied, dismissing the flames before sheathing the swords.

"Hey, Kang, I have something for you," Zu told him as Kang raised a curious eyebrow.

The Giant led him and Sky out the door, Li following behind whilst Zu walked over to a large house near the end of the Derelict Estate, The Boys and Sky standing before it.

"Come on in," Zu told them as they all walked in, the chill wind blowing through the boarded windows whilst Zu pulled a large wooden pallet away, revealing a large hole in the wall. The Giant leapt into the hole, descending deep beneath the surface.

"Are you coming?" Zu asked, his voice echoing whilst Kang, Li and Sky sceptically looked to each other.

"Well, there's a ladder so... why not," Kang told them, leaping onto the ladder and descending to Zu. Li and Sky following him. Zu led The Boys and Sky into a massive dark metal room.

"Kang, would you mind lighting the candles on the walls?" Zu asked as Kang formed a flame in his hand, walking around the room and lighting the candles on the walls, illuminating the metallic room.

"I originally made this as a bunker... just in case Republic City ever went south," Zu explained as he strode into the bunker, "But I figured this would be a handy hideaway for you," Zu gestured to the room whilst looking to Kang.

"How long do you think I'll have to hide down here?" Kang asked as Zu let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know... probably until the Avatar calms down," Zu replied as Kang let out a heavy sigh, "But hey, if you need to go out, you've got Sky, and if you need us for anything, we're here," Zu reassured the Young Fire-bender, a smile cracking over his goggled face as he looked to the bunker.

"Well, first things first! I need to improve the lighting, and secondly! I need to come up with a better way to get in and out of here," Kang eagerly proclaimed as Zu looked to his ladder.

"What's wrong with the ladder?" Zu asked as Kang turned to him.

"Nothing! I just know I can improve upon it!" Kang replied, the Giant and Li scoffing whilst Sky smirked.

"Well, do with it as you please, buddy! And stay safe," Zu told him as he and Li ascended back up the ladder, leaving Sky and Kang alone in the dimly lit bunker.

"So... improving the lighting, how do you plan to do that?" Sky asked, crossing his arms as Kang hummed to himself.

"Lin's Ironworks!" Kang spoke aloud, rushing over to the ladder and quickly ascending, shortly followed by Sky.

"Hey! Don't run off, I can't protect you if you're so far away!" Sky shouted as he chased Kang, reaching the entrance of the building, seeing Kang waiting for him.

"Sorry, got a bit overzealous there," Kang nervously apologised as Sky scoffed, smirking and shaking his head as he gestured to the city.

"Lead the way, O Mad inventor," Sky jested as Kang strutted out into the Derelict Estate, stroking his chin.

"Mad Inventor... I like it!" Kang enthusiastically replied, snapping his fingers and pointing to Sky. The two made their way into the Sunlit city, passing by citizens, their chatter filling their ears as the scent of Ostrich-Horse pervaded the air.

As Kang and Sky ventured, they reached the entrance to Lin's Ironworks, but as they walked towards the glass door, Aang descended from the roof, landing in front of the two. Sky quickly withdrew his swords whilst Kang raised his fists, but Aang passively raised his hands.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to fight," Aang told them, straightening his maroon robes as Kang lowered his fists.

"No one drops out of the sky to _not_ fight," Sky argued as Aang set his steely gaze on the mercenary.

"I've been looking for Kang, I wanted to apologise for how I acted," Aang calmly told him, Sky scoffing and lowering his blades.

"Alright, but keep your distance, Avatar," Sky demanded, as Aang faced Kang.

"Toph informed me that you... aren't the son of the person I thought of," Aang told him as Kang lightly quaked, the Avatar approaching him.

"But... after the event with Yakone, I wouldn't be surprised if she lied to protect you," Aang coldly told the Mad Inventor, his heart skipping a beat as the Avatar unleashed a howling gale from his palm, launching Sky back, but the Mercenary poised his blades towards the gale, catching it in his swords as they became imbued with the power of air. Aang loomed over Kang, raising his hands, ready to energy-bend the Mad inventor.

"Avatar!" Sky shouted, catching Aang's attention as Sky twirled his blades, "If you think you're gonna harm a single hair on my client, you've got another thing coming!" Sky proclaimed, pointing a sword at Aang, a vacuum pulling the Avatar in as Sky pulled the Sword back, dragging Aang over to him.

"That was Air-bending!" Aang exclaimed as Sky smirked.

"You got that right!" Sky smugly replied, swinging a sword at Aang as the Avatar swiftly pulled out a staff from behind his back, clashing weapons with the mercenary.

The two pushed each other back, Aang poising his staff whilst Sky confidently twirled his rune swords.

"Recognise these at all Avatar?" Sky asked as he twirled the swords, the faint ringing of the metal pervading Aang's mind.

"From a long time ago perhaps..." Aang coldly replied, swinging his staff and unleashing a slashed of air, but Sky swiped his swords down, summoning a wall of wind, blocking the Avatar's attack. 

The Mercenary leapt over his wind wall, diving in at the Avatar as he poised his staff to the side, punching up a small boulder, but sky clanged his swords against it, the boulder turning to dust as Sky landed, swiftly kicking out and knocking Aang back.

"Two down, two to go," Sky muttered, raising his swords to Aang, "Come on," Sky taunted him, shaking his sword whilst smugly grinning.

Aang and Sky clashed weapons once again, Kang watching from the entrance of Lin's Ironworks whilst the clanging of their swords and staff reverberated around the streets, ostrich-horse carts stopping as the two fought, citizens gathering around.

Aang bent a razor sheen of water out from a satchel under his robe, firing it at Sky as he rolled to the side, sticking a sword out to the water as it splashed down on the ground, his swords becoming imbued with the power of water.

"Hey, Kang! Lend me some fire!" Sky shouted, Aang's eyebrow quizzically raising as Kang launched a Fireball at Sky, the Mercenary raising his swords to it, snuffing it out as his swords became imbued with the power of fire.

"Now we're talking," Sky proclaimed, his eyes turning a pale white as he turned to Aang, "Let's dance, Avatar!" Sky taunted him, raising his glowing rune swords to Aang.

"As you wish," Aang coldly replied, his eyes and tattoos glowing as he crouched in his stance. 

Sky slashed out with his swords, unleashing slashes of all four elements, but Aang raised a mighty earthen wall, blocking the attack as Sky turned to Kang.

"Hey, Kang, get your shopping done whilst I handle this guy," Sky nonchalantly told him, Kang nodding and heading into Lin's Ironworks. The ground quaked as Fire roared and wind howled outside.

"Hello?" Kang called out, the foundations of the building shaking as Aang and Sky duelled outside. A man in a black tank top and welding mask walked out onto the front desk, flipping his mask up as he looked out the window.

"Avatar fight... not something you see every day," The man muttered, looking to Kang as the Mad inventor quizzically looked to him.

"Can I help you?" The man asked as Kang nodded, pulling out a list of items and handing it to the man, affirmatively humming as he read the list in his head.

"Be right back!" The man replied as Kang turned around, watching the battle rage on.

Sky jammed his swords into the ground, unleashing two monolithic blades into the air as Aang jumped and pirouetted away from them, slamming his staff down and unleashing a mighty gale of air. Sky deftly spun away from the gale, slashing out a crimson wave of fire, swiftly followed by a cross slash of air, but the Avatar blew them away, standing strong against Sky.

The Mercenary ducked behind one of his monoliths as Aang leapt around, intending to strike, but Sky had seemingly vanished, The Avatar's heart skipping a beat as he looked around.

"Looking for me?" Sky asked, the Avatar twisting around to see Sky stood behind him. 

The Mercenary mercilessly kicked Aang's back, directly striking his scar as the memories of the Crystal Catacombs returned. Aang dropped from the Avatar state, shaking his head as he stood up, glaring at Sky.

"I'll protect this city from him! No matter what!" Aang proclaimed, taking a deep breath before leaping back onto the rooftops, fleeing to rest and recover. 

Kang walked out of Lin's Ironworks, seeing Aang had left whilst Sky stood victorious, his eyes returning to their normal grey.

"Did you win?" Kang asked as he looked around.

"In a sense," Sky replied, sheathing his swords as he looked to Kang, "Did you get everything you need?" Sky asked, rolling his neck and brushing his arms down as Kang nodded.

"Indeed! Let's return so I can get started!" Kang replied, the two quickly returning to the bunker to begin work on its renovation.

Kang worked day and night over the months, whilst Sky played his flute, the tunes keeping Kang focused on his work as he improved on the ladder, occasionally sneaking off into the City with a hood over his head to gather supplies and equipment. Kang and Sky stood in the dimly lit bunker, standing behind a glass shield whilst a large glass bottle stood atop a plinth.

"So... let me get this straight," Sky spoke aloud, his arms crossed as he turned to Kang, "You're going to shoot lightning at that bottle... and its gonna stay in there?" Sky asked as Kang nodded.

"Indeed!" Kang confidently replied as he hesitantly chuckled, "Although there's a good chance it'll just blow it up, but hey!" Kang added as he began swishing his arms around.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Sky muttered, stepping back as electricity surged around Kang's body, cascading off the room whilst Sky worryingly looked around.

"Are you sure you're not overdoing it?" Sky asked as Kang grinned.

"Sky, my friend, there's no such thing!" Kang eagerly replied, shooting the lightning at the bottle's opening, the electricity surged around in the glass as it ejected from Kang's fingertips. The electricity bounced off the glassy interior as the Mad inventor recklessly leapt over to it, putting a cork on the opening and letting out a sigh of relief.

"Wow... you did it," Sky numbly exclaimed as Kang held the bottled lightning in his hands, giddily grinning at as he did.

"Yes! Yes, I did!" Kang replied, his giddiness surging over his body as he hopped over towards the wall, flipping open a metal panel to reveal an entry point big enough for the bottle.

"This is going to power the bunker for years! Decades even!" Kang exclaimed as he pulled the cork off, swiftly jamming the glass bottle into the entry point. 

The electricity surged into the entry point as the lights above them lit up, radiantly illuminating the room.

"We have power!" Kang proclaimed, pumping his fists in the air as he turned to a metal door where the ladder used to be, pressing a button on the doorway as the metal door slid open.

"And even this works!" Kang giddily exclaimed, rubbing his hands as Sky let out a sigh of relief.

"Good... because we were running low on food," Sky told him as he strode over to Kang, the two stepping into the Elevator.

"Then let's celebrate!" Kang enthusiastically told him as the door closed, the small room ascending upwards, both Kang and Sky fell to the floor, their stomachs churning as they clasped their guts.

"Is that meant to happen?" Sky woozily asked as Kang shuddered.

"A sudden jerk upwards can do that, so yes," Kang nonchalantly replied as the two stood back up, revealing the pallet to them. 

Sky and Kang grabbed ahold of the pallet, pushing it aside as they stepped out into the building, quickly covering the metal door back up.

"Let's go!" Kang told him as he raced out into the Derelict Estate, Sky quickly following behind.

Zu and Li looked out their window, seeing Kang giddily sprint pass, the two walking out into the Derelict Estate and looking at Kang.

"Buddy!" Zu shouted, catching Kang's attention as he raced over to the Giant.

"Hi, Zu!" Kang greeted him as he swayed side-to-side.

"Where's Sky?" Zu asked as he looked around, seeing the mercenary catch up to them.

"Right here!" Sky greeted them, looking at Kang as he let out a sharp sigh, "This guy's quicker than a Deer-dog," Sky exaggerated, pointing to the Mad inventor as Zu and Li chuckled.

"What's got you so... giddy?" Li asked as Kang looked to the bunker.

"I've been working on the bunker!" Kang told them as Zu and Li looked over to the large house with a raised eyebrow.

"We'll check it out sometime, for now, you go about your business buddy," Zu replied, patting Kang's shoulder as the Mad Inventor and Sky strutted out into the City.


	13. The Legacy Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avatar Aang's end draws near, but the cycle must go on, the Legacy must continue.

Sky would protect Kang from the Avatar for the next four years, The Giant paying him in hefty sacks of gold every month whilst the bunker soon turned into Kang's Lab. Zu made an extension for him, creating a giant cave-like room for the Mad Inventor, and whenever asked why, Kang would simply reply that he 'had something big planned'.

Kang spent every day inventing and designing whilst Sky played his tunes through his flute. Aang remained vigilant over the city, seemingly losing interest in Kang, but his body had begun to visibly falter, breath ragged, limbs aching, and heart murmuring.

Sky and Kang sat in Zu and Li's house, chatting with the two whilst Kang shared stories about his inventing.

"And then it blew up!" Kang told them, as Zu shook his head, the sun peering in through the windows.

"Timekeepers aren't supposed to explode, buddy!" Zu told him, Li's foot tapping as Sky, Zu and Kang looked to him.

"You alright, Li?" Sky asked, the water-bender letting out a heavy sigh.

"It's just... been really quiet lately," Li replied as the three raised an eyebrow to him.

"How so?" Zu asked as he put his meaty fingertips together.

"You know, with the Avatar, I haven't seen or heard about him in months," Li replied as Sky, Zu and Kang looked to each other.

"Want to go investigate?" Kang asked as Zu nodded, standing up from his couch.

"Yeah... I'm getting an odd vibe about the whole thing," Zu replied as The Boys and Sky left the house, marching out of the Derelict Estate and into the city. 

The Boys and Sky strode by the bakery, an idea popping into Zu's mind.

"Boys! Follow me!" Zu told them as he marched over to the Bakery, popping his head through the doorway.

"Hey! Baker!" Zu shouted as the baker perked his head up, looking to the Giant with a raised bemused eyebrow.

"What are you not coming in?" The baker asked as he crossed his arms, staring at Zu.

"I actually wanted to ask... have you heard anything about the Avatar lately?" Zu asked as the baker let out a heavy sigh.

"He's at the Southern Spirit Hospital, Chief says he isn't looking too good," The baker sombrely replied as Zu lightly gasped.

"Right... thanks," Zu replied, closing the door and looking to The Boys and Sky.

"Let's go to the Southern Spirit!" Zu told them, leading the march towards the Hospital.

The Boys and Sky sneaked around the perimeter of the hospital, the Giant planting his feet firmly on the ground as he sensed the vibrations within the building, detecting Toph, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Suki and four others near the top.

"They're near the top floor," Zu whispered as he punched an earthen column up, stopping at the Window as The Boys and Sky peered in, seeing Aang on a hospital bed surrounded by his friends and people dressed in blue and white robes.

Aang looked around at his friends as they all heavily gazed at him. The Avatar turned his attention to the White Lotus, wearily raising a hand to them.

"I need you to find... the next Avatar," Aang told them his arms quaking as the White Lotus members all quizzically looked to each other, one of them stepping forward, master air-bender tattoos adorning his bald head whilst a short goatee covered his chin, the White Lotus member turning his grey eyes to Aang.

"Do you know where we should start, Father?" The White Lotus member asked as Aang lightly clasped his hand.

"I don't know where they'll be born... but I know, the Shadows are stirring... and a Strange wind is blowing," Aang breathlessly told him, the Avatar's friends sceptically looking to each other, "I know you'll do me proud, Tenzin, you're the only one who can teach them Air-bending," Aang told the White Lotus member, patting his hand as he wearily smiled.

"I'll do my best, father," Tenzin replied as Aang turned to Katara, the Water-bender lightly throwing herself onto Aang as he hugged her, patting her back as Katara wept.

"And if you're there to meet them, I'm sure I'll see you again, Katara," Aang told her as Katara nodded, lifting herself off Aang. The Avatar slowly turned to Zuko and Sokka, smiling at them as they sorrowfully smiled back.

"I'm sure we'll meet again one day buddy, it's been an honour to know you," Sokka told him, a tear streaking from his eye as he and Aang lightly clasped each other's arms.

"I'm glad I met you, Aang, without you I don't think I'd be the person I am today," Zuko told him as Aang lightly chuckled.

"Oh, you've got that right," Aang jested, his chuckles turning to coughs as he wearily turned to Suki.

"Look after Sokka, and make sure you raise that Kyoshi Warrior well!" Aang told her as Suki sombrely smiled.

"I'll make sure she's strong enough to stand up to an Avatar!" Suki proclaimed as Aang weakly smiled and nodded, finally turning to Toph.

"Toph..." Aang spoke as the Chief turned her blind eyes to Aang, "I know our friendship's been a bit rocky over the years... but even so, I'm glad we were still friends to the end," Aang told her, a lump growing in the Chief's throat as a tear streaked from her eye.

"I'm glad too, Twinkle Toes," Toph replied, her lips quivering as Aang looked up to the ceiling, a black wind invisible to his friends swirled around him. Death appearing before Aang.

"Are you done with your goodbyes, Avatar?" Death asked as Aang smirked, his spirit sitting up from his body.

"I am," Aang sombrely replied as a white and black spiritual essence fluttered around him, the two flying out of the window and off into the horizon.

"Then it's time, the cycle will continue, and you will be there to assist Claire in her quest," Death told him, Aang's spiritual eyebrow raising.

"Claire? That doesn't sound very... water tribe-y," Aang replied as Death briefly chuckled.

"Tis an Aaravosian name, Avatar," Death nonchalantly replied, outstretching its hand to Aang as he grasped Death's hand, the Black-hooded figure leading leading him into the Spirit World, leaving his body behind, Aang's heart stopping as he breathed his last breath.

"He's... gone," Toph informed, her voice shaking them as everyone let out a heavy sigh, The Boys and Sky watching from the window before turning to each other.

"Wow... he really just kicked the bucket," Zu quietly exclaimed as The Boys and Sky sat on the Earthen Column, each letting out a heavy sigh.

"Sixteen years with no Avatar..." Li muttered as The other three affirmatively grumbled, slowly nodding their heads.

"Or longer," Sky added as Zu pushed the Earthen Column down, The Boys and Sky striding off into the Afternoon illuminated city.

"Well, I suppose..." Sky spoke aloud, stepping in front of The Boys as they quizzically gazed at him, "with Aang now a baby in some far off part of the world, you won't be needing a bodyguard?" Sky asked Kang, the Mad Inventor letting out a heavy sigh.

"I suppose I won't," Kang replied, smiling at Sky as he smiled back.

"Well Kang, this has got to be the longest, and the most well-paid jobs I've had," Sky told him, striding up to The Mad Inventor, "It's been a bash," Sky added, outstretching his hand as The Mercenary and Kang firmly gripped each other's hands, shaking them as they both smiled.

"Perhaps I'll see you again one day," Kang eagerly told him as Sky lightly scoffed.

"Do you plan on aggravating the next Avatar too?" Sky jested as The Boys chuckled.

"No, No, I don't think I'll get the opportunity to meet them again," Kang replied as the two released their hands from each other. 

Sky took a brief bow, sauntering off into the city to begin his next adventure. The Boys stood around the streets, the wind rustling through their hair as Zu looked to Kang.

"Say, Kang... what time is it?" Zu asked as Kang pulled out his Timekeeper.

"It's eleven forty-five," Kang replied as Zu ominously chuckled.

"Wanna pull another bank Heist?" Zu eagerly asked, Li and Kang perking up at the sound of it.

"Let's do it!" Kang enthusiastically replied. 

The Boys sprinted back home, diving into their basement and shuffling down the tunnel.

"You'd think after four years they would've found this by now," Kang muttered as Li chuckled.

"It's a big city Kang, a lot of things go ignored for a long time," Li explained. 

The Boys reached the end of the tunnel, The Giant punching through the ceiling and into the Bank Vault.

"You know the drill! Two-hundred a fifty Gold pieces each!" Zu told them as Kang and Li each pulled out a sack.

"Just like old times," Li replied, the Giant and Mad Inventor smirking as they raced around, gathering the gold in their sacks before returning to each other.

"Now last time The Chief showed up... but with recent events, and Kuvira off in Zaofu, I think we're good," Zu told them, but the metal door swung open, slamming against the wall as The Boys flinched and grimaced.

"That so, Zu?" A familiar voice called out to him, The Giant gazing into the distance with an unimpressed glare.

"I Jinxed it," Zu muttered, turning around to see a woman with shoulder-length black hair and pale green eyes adorned in a Black button-up shirt, grey pants and black knee-high boots, The Giant lightly gasping as he looked at her, "Lin?" Zu asked as the woman nodded.

"The one and only," Lin confidently replied whilst Kang gazed at her, his heart racing as his eyes gleamed under his goggles.

"I see the Chief took you under her wing," Zu nervously told her as Lin nodded.

"You got that right," Lin told him, striding into the room as Zu swung his hands at the metal door, intending to close it on Lin, but The Police Officer punched into the door, prying it from the hinges and throwing it at Zu, striking the Giant in the gut and knocking him down.

"Good one!" Zu groaned as he rolled on the floor.

Kang and Li nervously looked to Zu then Lin, but in their time of worry, Lin wrench a piece of the metal flooring up from the floor, wrapping it around Li, restraining the Water-bender.

"Wait a minute, I recognise you!" Lin exclaimed as she pointed to Kang, but the Mad Inventor simply ogled at her, his vision focusing on nothing but Lin, her words dampening against his ears as his heart pounded, catching Zu's attention as he looked to his friend.

"He's got a thing for the Chief's daughter... That I didn't see coming," Zu muttered as Kang threw himself at Lin, kneeling down on one knee as he outstretched his wrists to her.

"Take me with you, oh sweet enchantress," Kang suavely told her, taking aback Lin as she leaned away from the Mad Inventor, gazing upon his eager grin.

"Alright then..." Lin muttered as Li looked over to him, seeing Lin restrain Kang's wrists.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Li muttered as Lin marched over to Zu, leaving the enthralled Mad Inventor by the door. 

Lin restrained Zu's meaty arms with the metal door, bending the metal around The Boys and carrying them out of the Vault. Toph stood by the Vault doorway, giggling to herself.

"That has got to be the easiest arrest I've seen, Lin," Toph commented as she looked at the spaced out Kang, his enthralled grin cloaking his face.

"I didn't see it coming, and judging by the reactions of Zu and Li, neither did they," Lin replied as she hauled The Boys off to the Police Station.

"Hi, Chief," Zu greeted Toph, waving his massive hand through the restraints.

"Hi, Big Softy," Toph replied, smirking at the Giant, watching them leave the Bank before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Well... I think this City will be in good hands with Lin around," Toph muttered to herself, sombrely marching out of the Bank and into the City.

Lin arrived at the Police Station, striding through into the illuminated reception. Police Officers gazed at Lin as she hauled The Boys down to the Prisons.

"Finally got caught did you, Zu?" A Police Officer jokingly asked as Zu nodded.

"Got me good with the Vault door," Zu replied, the Police Officers chuckling at him as they watched them leave.

"Do you think we should tell her?" A Police Officer muttered to one of his Co-workers.

"Chief said to let her work things out on her own," The Co-worker replied, sipping his tea as they looked to the prisons.

Lin strode over to a large prison cell, opening it up and gently placing The Boys inside, unwrapping their metal binds before proudly standing before them and locking the cell's door with a heavy metal clang.

"Only took several years, but you finally lost Zu," Lin smugly told the Giant as he mockingly wept.

"Yes! I have been bested by none other than the Chief's daughter! Oh, the shame!" Zu exclaimed as Kang and Li quizzically looked to him.

"See you in several years, Zu," Lin jested as she left, her footsteps receding as Zu watched her leave.

"Alright, Boys, let's go home," Zu whispered, grasping the metal bars and pulling them apart, stepping through, followed by Kang and Li.

"She doesn't know you're a metal-bender?" Kang asked as Zu chuckled.

"She should, but I think it's slipped her mind," Zu replied, The Boys striding out of the Prison Cells whilst their would-be inmates grumbled at them.

"Hey! Can you let me out of here?" A prisoner asked as Zu scoffed.

"You're in here for a reason!" Zu snapped back before returning to his departure.

"So were you!" The Prisoner shouted, their words falling on deaf ears as The Boys strode up into the reception, to the surprise of no one.

"Didn't take you long, Zu," A Police Officer told him as Zu smugly nodded.

"Call it a learning experience!" Zu jested as he and Li made way for the exit, but Kang looked over to a Police Officer drawing out a sketch, curiously hopping over to them.

"Hey, can I have that?" Kang asked, seeing the Police Officer had drawn a sketch of the Mad Inventor himself.

"Sure," The Sketching Police Officer replied, handing Kang the sketch. Kang grasped it, pocketing the sketch into his pouch.

"Thank you," Kang told him, sauntering off with Zu and Li as they strode off into the city, the Sun setting in the horizon.

  
  
  



	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two decades fly by and Kang finds himself in a new adventure.

Twenty years have passed since the passing of Avatar Aang, the Full Moon hangs high in the skies above Republic City, and Kang sets out to investigate a new threat tobthe city.

Kang ascended up his elevator, stepping out into the Derelict Estate, his unkempt hair flowing down towards his shoulders, his goggles still attached to his face, and his Pouch of Infinity slung over his dark red and gold stitched up shirt. His black baggy pants ruffled in the wind whilst his Maroon and gold boots marched across the earth beneath him. 

Kang strode passed Zu and Li's house, quickly trotting over and knocking on the door, a metal pinging reverberating from within before the door opened, revealing a now grey and black bearded Zu, and a partially wrinkled Li.

"Hey, Kang!" Zu greeted him as the Mad Inventor smirked.

"Hi, Zu!" Kang replied as Li interjected.

"And before you ask, yes, we prepared those Silver Bananas," Li told him as Zu worryingly looked down to Kang.

"Are you sure you want to investigate this Amon guy? It could be dangerous," Zu asked, but Kang simply scoffed.

"What isn't dangerous in this city?" Kang sarcastically asked as Zu shrugged, but Li pondered for a moment, placing his hand to his chin.

"Did... Eamon have a bother at all, Zu?" Li asked, The Giant's fluffy eyebrows raising.

"Not as far as I know... why?" Zu asked as Li lightly shrugged.

"Well, you know... 'Eamon', 'Amon', They're similar names so," Li unconvincingly explained.

"Probably just a weird coincidence, but for now, I have a theatre hall to trespass into!" Kang told them as he sauntered off, Zu and Li waving goodbye to him.

Kang marched through the streets, catching the eyes of several people, a short-haired amber-eyed man dressed in a vest and long pants pointed his prosthetic arm to the Mad Inventor.

"Hey, Kang!" The man shouted, catching the Mad Inventor's attention. Kang twisted around, seeing the man light five fire balls atop his finger tips, "This new Prosthetic's great!" The man told him.

"Keep in mind, Azem, it's only a prototype!" Kang warned him, making Azem quickly snuff out the flames.

"Better than that hunk of metal!" Azem replied, chuckling as Kang sauntered off.

The Mad Inventor strolled towards the Piandao bakery, swinging the doors open and scaring the now elderly baker.

"Oh! Kang was it? I thought you were dead or something, I haven't seen you sneak in through my back door for months" The baker greeted him, making the Mad Inventor chuckle as he poked his goggles.

"Nope, The Spirit of Death hasn't claimed me just yet," Kang jested as the baker pulled out a case of Fire buns.

"Ah, you know me well," Kang told him as he flicked several gold pieces to the baker.

"It's all you ever stole," The baker jested, chuckling before shrugging his shoulders, "Well... used to stole I guess," he added as Kang nodded, waving goodbye to the baker, returning to his adventure.

Kang finally stood before the Theatre Hall, taking a deep breath before snaffling one last Fire Bun.

"Well, Eamon... dream's about to come true," Kang muttered to himself, lightly smirking as he ran to the back of the theatre hall, climbing up a ladder leading to a door left open by Zu and Li, but a a loud metal clanging caught his attention as he climbed.

"Well... someone's not being discreet," Kang muttered as he made his way in.

Kang crept along the Shadowy catwalk of the theatre hall, mumbling to himself as he watched the hooded, masked man, Amon. But as he sneaked along, the Mad Inventor bumped into a white-haired woman adorned in a blue sleeveless shirt with cyan lines going down the neckline, Black baggy pants and fluffy brown boots covering her lower half, the woman bent out a stream of water from a satchel, her Emerald green eyes glaring at Kang as he ignited a flame atop his finger, bewilderingly looking at her water-bending.

"Oh, thank goodness! Another Bender!" Kang quietly exclaimed as the White-haired woman's eyebrow quizzically raised.

"Who are you?" She quietly asked, her gaze running up and down Kang.

"My name is Kang. Now please be quiet, I'm here investigating Amon," Kang replied, the White-haired woman slanting her eyes at the Mad Inventor.

"I'm here investigating him too!" She replied, but Kang simply flexed an index finger to her, signalling for her to be quiet once more.

" _Jeez, who is this woman?"_ Kang thought to himself as he briefly turned his eyes to her, _"Complexion screams Fire Nation, Clothes say Water Tribe, Eyes shout Earth Kingdom...talk about an enigma,"_ Kang quizzically thought to himself as he returned to observing Amon, unaware of the new adventure he'd stumbled into.

  
  
  



End file.
